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NEWS
Buy Australian, says government
Former Ford executive appointed to sell locally manufactured cars to government and private fleetsThe federal government has appointed a former Ford executive to promote the purchase of locally manufactured vehicles by Australian government and private fleets.
Mr William Angove, who ran the Blue Oval’s Indonesian subsidiary for 10 years, was announced this morning as the first Automotive Supplier Advocate.
As well as lobbying for increased fleet sales of local cars, Mr Angove will also work with small and medium-size component makers to find and compete in new markets.
The appointment of Mr Angove is a response to the diversification of purchases by governments and private companies as a result of novated leasing and the banning of six-cylinder cars from some fleets, a move which hits the sale of locally built Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore particularly hard.
It follows on from a Victorian opposition proposal that state government fleets and public servants only be allowed to lease locally manufactured vehicles.
Figures quoted in the press release announcing Mr Angove’s appointment claimed that in 2011-12 over 72 per cent of all passenger vehicles purchased by the Commonwealth, Victorian and South Australian governments were made in Australia.
However, the equivalent figure in NSW was 44 per cent, 41 per cent in Queensland, 30 per cent in WA, 37 per cent in Tasmania, 36 per cent in the Northern Territory, 34 per cent in the ACT and 25 per cent for the whole of local government.
The Advocate position was created under the auspices of the Automotive New Markets Initiative (ANMI), which is designed to help the industry seek new business opportunities, and is funded jointly by the federal government and the state governments of the two car-building states, Victoria and South Australia, to the tune of $35 million.
“We just want to lift the level of Australian-manufactured vehicles in fleets and in some of the states ... they are off a pretty low base,” Industry minister Greg Combet told media at this morning’s Toyota engine assembly plant opening at Altona.
“When we have a high dollar and lots of pressures being experienced by the industry, one thing governments and large private fleets can do is make sure they are purchasing as many Australian cars as possible. There are plenty of options available.”
Mr Combet said that Mr Angove could add support to the efforts already being made to woo fleets by the three local manufacturers.
“What we have found with the appointment of advocates in other industries is that an experienced business person getting around talking to the manufacturers and the suppliers and to governments at all levels – and in this case large fleet operators – can be a very strong advocate for the markets that exist in this country, stronger than some companies can be that are marketing their own particular product.
“Mr Angove is very familiar with the industry … and we think he has the skills and capacities to make a good case for why there should be greater level of Australian manufactured vehicles in our fleets in this country.”
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Written byBruce Newton
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