It has been a sad day for Australia's car industry with the news General Motors (GM) has decided to end the Holden brand, a decision which comes just three years after the US company stopped manufacturing in Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said like many other Australians, he was "angry" about the decision and accused the company of wasting Australian taxpayer's money.
"I think it's very disappointing that over many years, more than $2 billion was directly provided to General Motors for the Holden operations," he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference. Source: Getty
"I think the fact they took money from Australian taxpayers for all those years just to let the Holden brand wither on their watch, I think it's disappointing."
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews also expressed disappointment.
"To make an announcement of such significance, I think it would have shown a significant amount of goodwill as well as decency to pick up the phone and talk to the government beforehand," she said.
Federal Industry Minister Karen Andrews Source: AAP
However, Australian unions have directly blamed Mr Morrison and the Coalition governments before him for Holden's demise.
The Labor party has also blamed the Morrison government for the shutdown.
Labor Spokesperson for Education and Training Tanya Plibersek accused the government of not caring about workers.
"Today an iconic Aussie car brand calls it quit: 800 more jobs to go," she tweeted.
Tanya Plibersek says gender targets could be reached in Australia's honours by reviewing categories. (AAP) Source: AAP
"Scott Morrison just doesn't care about the families who rely on these jobs."
Labor leader Anthony Albanese took a more sentimental approach, paying homage to Holden's legacy as an Australian icon, birthed out of South Australia in 1908.
But the news didn't surprise some industry analysts, with Holden having recorded its lowest monthly sales since production began 72 years ago.
Editor of automotive website whichcar.com.au Tim Robson said from a business perspective, GM had no other option as Holden was no longer profitable.
"People's tastes have changed. Everyone wants an SUV or a dual-cab ute," he said.
The last vehicle to roll off the production line at the Holden plant in Elizabeth, Adelaide in 2017. Source: AAP
"They're the most popular cars on sale in Australia today and people just weren't buying Holdens and if you are not selling cars, then you can't stay in business."
