On 13/12/2011 10:26 AM, DavidW wrote:
"Senator Carr, who was once a numbers man for Julia Gillard, fell out
with her in January when she axed the green car innovation fund to
divert $800 million to help pay for repairs after the Queensland floods.
He said yesterday suggestions that he had been in any way disloyal to
her were ''simply not true''.
Widely praised for his work as innovation minister, Senator Carr
reasserted his remaining portfolio authority, revealing he would meet
the chief executives of both General Motors and Ford next month to
continue negotiations about the ''future viability'' of the car industry
in Australia.
With a decision imminent on whether to build a new model Commodore in
Australia, Holden's managing director, Mike Devereux, said bluntly this
month that current assistance was not enough for head office to invest
in the next generation of Australian-made cars.
Senator Carr said cabinet had authorised him to negotiate assistance
deals with the car makers to secure new investments crucial for their
Australian operations to continue.
But any co-investment offered during the talks in Detroit would use
funds in existing car industry, clean energy, and research and
development programs and not add to pressures on the budget.
Senator Carr reassured manufacturers he remained in charge despite
losing cabinet responsibility for innovation to Greg Combet, while
gaining responsibility for the $11 billion-a-year defence procurement
budget.
''What I'm saying is for me it's really business as usual in regard to
manufacturing,'' he said. ''I want to send a message to the very, very
large numbers of people that have sent me heartfelt expressions of goodwill.
''My sense of commitment is ensuring we look after the 50,000
Australians that work in this industry.''
He was praised this week by Mr Rudd for ensuring the car industry's
survival through the global financial crisis, and his performance has
been endorsed by manufacturing business groups, universities and
researchers, despite the allegations by anonymous colleagues that he had
been ''underperforming''".
http://www.smh.com.au/national/minister-refuses-to-back-gillard-20111215-1owyb.html