It goes back even further. John Button who introduced the...

It goes back even further. John Button who introduced the "Button Plan" to remove protection of import tariffs, and quotas or quantitative restrictions on imports. These measures weresupposed to be used to support local assembly of thirteen models by a range of manufacturers.
It failed miserably
Rather than share locally assembled models with other manufacturers, Holden, Ford and Toyota decided to import fully built-up models from subsidiaries elsewhere in the world, mainly Europe and Japan.
So the slow demise of the local car industry began.
Protection tariffs and subsidies are nothing new its just they don't work in an uneven playing field.
Australia ended up playing a game of football without a goal keeper
Just look at what China, the EU and now the States are doing now to protect their own industries.
China wont think twice to cut us off at the drop of a hat.
The only reason they talk to us now because our Iron ore and Lithium