Vic: Govt must work with manufacturing industry, opposition says

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2008
Vic: Govt must work with manufacturing industry, opposition says

MELBOURNE, AUG 23 - The state government must interact with the manufacturing industry,
after yet more job losses, the Victorian opposition says.

Boeing is to slash more than 500 jobs at the Fishermans Bend Hawker de Havilland site
over 18 months, with up to 350 going from the Melbourne plant by the end of the year as
some production is moved to Sydney.

The news comes a day after Ford announced plans to axe up to 350 jobs at its two Victorian
plants.

Speaking at the Liberals' State Council meeting in Geelong today, Opposition Leader
Ted Baillieu said every job loss in Victoria was devastating.

"It's now incumbent on (Premier) John Brumby to indicate whether there has been any
engagement with the company on the issue and whether the government could have done more
to retain these jobs," Mr Baillieu told reporters.

"Obviously, job losses in Victoria are mounting. We've had Ford, we've had SPC, we've
had Don Smallgoods and now with the announcement about Boeing, that's a big concern."

He said job losses did not just affect families and communities, but had downstream
effects on other businesses.

Mr Brumby congratulated himself when things were going well, Mr Baillieu said, but
when times got tough, he got going.

"This is the problem with John Brumby, he can't have it both ways.

"He can't be out there patting himself on the back when there are new jobs and then
vanishing - as he has done - when the jobs start disappearing themselves.

"That's not a legitimate way to approach it, it's a very cynical approach."

The government must make some specific statements about where it was taking the economy,
Mr Baillieu said.

AAP kb/cjh/cdh

KEYWORD: BOEING BAILLIEU

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