Straight out of the George Orwell 1984 nightmare comes the...

Straight out of the George Orwell 1984 nightmare comes the Australian Governments use of "Spin and Newspeak" to twist any truth around, who will try anything to secure a win at the expense of the other party including the use of companies as they have done with Australian car manufacturers. Sure it was a newspaper report, none the less the Government ran with it. Hard to believe this is what Australian Politics has come down to and reaffirms my belief that nothing this government has to say can be treated as fact. This goes right to the core of the “War on Terror” with the following ant-terrorism laws and loss of civil liberties, “Port Arthur Massacre” with the following gun controls, US Bases, the alliance and anything else of matters of importance to this country.

Car makers deny 'strike fears' November
10, 2007 01:15am

THE FEDERAL Government has leapt on reports that Australia's car manufacturers were worried about a return to industrial trouble, including strikes, if Labor wins the election.

A national newspaper yesterday reported that four manufacturers had made a secret submission to the Government seeking further industry assistance and expressing concerns over the rise of unions under a Labor government.

Treasurer Peter Costello described the reports as chilling.

"This should strike a chill into all Australians because business is now starting to worry about union militancy under a Rudd Labor government," he said.

"We have a competitiveness scheme in place for the industry but what we'll give the industry assurance about is that under our Government they won't have to front up against militant unionism, industrial stoppages and disputation."

But in a potential embarrassment for the Government, the manufacturers denied making any such submission. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries - representing Holden, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Ford - denied the claims.

FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said there had been no letter written, nor had there ever been any industry discussion on the industrial relations matters. "I'm asking for that . . . I would like to see it - there is no letter."

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22732882-5006301,00.html
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Car industry denies sending anti-ALP letter
By Samantha Donovan

Posted Fri Nov 9, 2007 9:01pm AEDT

The automotive industry says it always seeks to work constructively with the government of the day

Car companies deny PM plea (PM) "Car firms plead for PM's help" was the front-page headline on today's The Australian, but it has emerged this afternoon that the country's four main car companies say they made no such official plea at all.

They say they are mystified as to how it has been reported that they wrote to Prime Minister John Howard warning that their viability was in doubt.

And they say they have never said that industry conditions would deteriorate under a Rudd Labor government, as the article suggests.

Treasurer Peter Costello was getting mileage out of the story earlier today, while Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says he has no idea where the story came from.

The article claims that Toyota, Ford, Mitsubishi and Holden warned the Government last month that the viability of two or even three of them is in doubt, and that they fear more militant unions and pattern wage-bargaining if the ALP is elected.

The article also refers to a confidential submission on the car industry to Mr Howard from his department, in which those concerns are outlined.

Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, is acting as spokesman for the four companies and he is adamant that they did not write a letter to the Prime Minister.

"Where the claim comes from, I do not know. The industry is completely mystified," he said.

"To be frank, no such letter exists, and nor has there been any industry discussion on many of the matters that are suggested in the report."

Mr Costello was using the story for his argument against unions.

Cooperation

But Mr McKellar denies that the car companies believe economic and industrial conditions would deteriorate under a Rudd Labor government as the article maintains.

"The automotive industry, over a long period of time, has always sought to work constructively with the government of the day," he said.

"Now that's certainly the case at the moment and we would expect that that would be the case in the future, whatever the outcome of the election might be.

"What we have urged the Government to do is to initiate a review of the significant policy arrangements that apply to the industry, and for that to take place in early 2008.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/09/2087164.htm
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Government won't rescue car makers

Posted Wed Dec 20, 2006 4:05pm AEDT

The federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, has signalled the car industry is unlikely to receive any more help from the Government.

The four local car manufacturers - Holden, Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi - have asked the Federal Government for an extra $1 billion and a freeze on tariffs at 10 per cent.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/12/20/1815796.htm