Morrison gains driver's-seat view of local and electric truckmaking
Local manufacturing and cleaner propulsion are at the fore of a prime ministerial visit to Volvo Group’s Wacol factory ahead of Australia Day.
Though it isn’t exactly rare to see politicians visit truck makers or operators, indeed Scott Morrison has previously enjoyed photo opportunities in a truck cabin, rarely does such an occasion draw wider mainstream attention and this may be a first for OEM-built electric trucks in Australia.
Certainly, the ‘Made in Australia’ and local jobs rhetoric resonates with the Australia Day theme.
“We make things in Australia, and we make them well,” Morrison says of his tour of the plant.
“At the Volvo and Mack factory in Wacol, southwest of Brisbane, they’ve been proudly making trucks for Australia and beyond for almost 50 years.
“Our new tax incentive for new investment has meant a surge of new orders, which will be keeping these workers at this plant very busy this year.
“Each and every truck that rolls off the assembly line proudly wears the Australian made logo and because of their continued investment they employ more than 1,400 people and support 90 local manufacturing suppliers, some of whom I met today.
“Our modern manufacturing strategy is all about supporting business to continue to invest in making things in Australia and ensuring there’s a big future for manufacturing in this country.”
Conspicuously, Morrison doesn’t mention his short run in Volvo’s new electric unit, soon to go on trial with Linfox.
Perhaps a lost opportunity to spruik some green credentials, though that may not appease the ruling political narrative, however Volvo Group executives were quick to document the occasion: