Fed: State govt has failed regional Vic: Baillieu

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2008
Fed: State govt has failed regional Vic: Baillieu

MELBOURNE, Aug 22 AAP - Premier John Brumby has neglected regional Victoria by leaving
town on the day a further 300-350 job losses were announced by car giant Ford, opposition
leader Ted Baillieu says.

Ford today announced a 15 per cent job cut at its Geelong and Broadmeadows plants,
with an expected loss of at least 300 jobs.

Regional Victoria would feel the flow-on from the job losses, he said, especially Geelong
which also was losing 600 jobs at the Ford engine plant.

"John Brumby obviously knew this announcement was going to be made," Mr Baillieu told reporters.

"Yesterday, he went through that parade in parliament of patting himself on the back
about what they've done in Geelong and today he's vanished."

Mr Brumby should leave an economic conference he is attending today on Hayman Island
in Queensland and explain the government's manufacturing plan for Victoria, Mr Baillieu
said.

Mr Baillieu said the Victorian government had not supported manufacturing.

"When this government has seen a decline in the share of manufacturing from 31 to 28
per cent over the life of this government you know they haven't acted," Mr Baillieu said.

He said a manufacturing strategy promised by Industry Minister Theo Theophanous in
December 2006 was still to be delivered.

Mr Baillieu also questioned whether Mr Brumby supported the review into the automotive
industry conducted by his predecessor Steve Bracks.

"We don't know whether he supports any of these measures because they've done nothing,"

Mr Baillieu said.

AAP ees/pmu/cjh/cdh

KEYWORD: FORD BAILLIEU

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