THE gloves have come off in the battle to win over Geelong voters, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard claiming Opposition Leader Tony Abbott wasn't capable of making a plan to save local manufacturing jobs.
In an attack on the eve of Mr Abbott's appearance tonight at the Geelong Advertiser /Sky News People's Forum, Ms Gillard said the Coalition's plan for the automotive sector was "laughable" and would cost 1500 jobs in the region.
"There will be no car industry in Geelong," Ms Gillard told the Geelong Advertiser in an exclusive interview.
"Not only would it kill the jobs of today, it would rob the jobs of tomorrow through advanced manufacturing."
Geelong and the marginal seat of Corangamite have become the focus for both leaders in the past 48-hours ahead of Mr Abbott's forum appearance in front of 100 uncommitted voters in the seat tonight.
A Coalition government would take $500 million out of the current $1.5 billion New Car Plan and has promised a Productivity Commission review into the sector after 2015.
"I prefer the coalition plan of encouraging Ford rather than the Gillard and union plan of using taxpayers money to pay high wages and keep car prices artificially high. If Ford cant survive then so be it."
