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A local automotive industry expert believes President Obama will force much of Australia's car assembly industry to close, triggering the loss of up to 300,000 jobs across the Tasman.
Clive Matthew-Wilson, who edits the car buyers' Dog & Lemon Guide, said he "hates being a doomsayer", but "The US Government will have to bail out the teetering US car industry, but the price for rescuing US car workers will be that Australian car workers will lose their jobs."
"There's no way President Obama is going to prop-up unprofitable Australian factories. As part of his bailout of Ford and General Motors he will insist that all offshore loss-making operations be closed. I hate to say it, but somewhere near the top of that list will be the Ford & Holden plants in Australia."
The Australian car assembly industry provides 65,000 jobs directly and 250,000 jobs indirectly nationwide.
A closure by Ford & Holden would leave Toyota as Australia's sole vehicle manufacturer.
- NZHERALD STAFF
