High-powered summit to save Mitsubishi plants: [2 All-round First Edition]
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 17 May 2004: 4.
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The Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that Mitsubishi's engine plant or assembly factory, both located in Adelaide's south, would close under Mitsubishi's rehabilitation plan to be detailed next Friday.
The report came ahead of a meeting in Japan today between Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, South Australian Treasurer Kevin Foley and Mitsubishi executives over the future of the operations.
Mr Foley said as he flew out to Japan on Saturday his "gut feeling" was that Mitsubishi's Adelaide operations would survive.
MITSUBISHI Motors Australia yesterday dismissed as "mere speculation" a report that one of its two South Australian operations could be scrapped in a global restructure.
The Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that Mitsubishi's engine plant or assembly factory, both located in Adelaide's south, would close under Mitsubishi's rehabilitation plan to be detailed next Friday.
The report came ahead of a meeting in Japan today between Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, South Australian Treasurer Kevin Foley and Mitsubishi executives over the future of the operations.
Mitsubishi Motors Australia corporate affairs manager Charles Iles said the newspaper report was "just another speculative theory".
"There's been a whole bunch of them (theories) coming out of Japan," Mr Iles said.
"This is just another one of the theories and I'm not going to comment on speculation."
Before departing for Japan, Mitsubishi Motors Australia president Tom Phillips said he was optimistic that Mitsubishi Australia would continue as a car-maker, but could not comment further.
Mr Foley said as he flew out to Japan on Saturday his "gut feeling" was that Mitsubishi's Adelaide operations would survive.
"I would appeal for calmness as there has been an ongoing saga of unsourced reports published in Japan and we need to ascertain what the real position is," Mr Foley said.
"I am confident the united message from the federal and state governments about the importance of Mitsubishi will have an impact.
"I have great confidence we will get through this but just how we get through it only time will tell."
The high-powered Australian delegation to Tokyo follows months of speculation about the future of the car-maker's Australianoperations, considered crucial to the South Australian economy.
Mitsubishi has a workforce of about 3500 at its plants in South Australia.
Concern for the future of the Adelaide engine plant at Lonsdale and the assembly factory at Clovelly Park heightened two weeks ago when German-US car giant DaimlerChrysler withdrew support for a $10billion bailout for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.
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