Independent senators have called on the federal government to do everything it can to keep Holden in Australia and ignore the economic rationalists in its ranks.
Independent senator Nick Xenophon and his upper house Democratic Labor Party colleague John Madigan made the plea after Holden Australia boss Mike Devereux said government help was crucial to the firm's future.
"I implore the prime minister to get behind Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane who is doing everything he can, in my view, to keep Holden in Australia on reasonable terms," Senator Xenophon told reporters.
"I am concerned about those in the coalition, the hardline dry economic fundamentalists, who just don't get it in terms of the importance of auto manufacturing to this country."
Senator Madigan said while Holden was yet to make a final decision about its future in South Australia and Victoria, all stakeholders needed to sit down and discuss the issue.
"It's no good hiding behind the veil that our hands are tied, they're not tied," he said in Canberra on Tuesday.
"We're supposed to be leaders."
Senator Xenophon also said the carbon tax, introduced by the former Labor federal government, was an impost on the input of businesses, such as car making, in Australia.
"We are paying too much for power in this country," he said, adding that there were other factors pushing up power prices, such as network costs.
