About 600 of 800 jobs in Australia will be lost, with redundancies being offered to all those affected. The remaining 200 employees will handle Holden's ongoing service and warranty commitments for up to 10 years. The Victorian government will offer retrenched workers programs to help with retraining and employment. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video “I am angry … like I think many Australians would be. Australian taxpayers put millions into a multinational company. They let the brand just wither away on their watch,” Mr Morrison said. Earlier, federal Industry Minister Karen Andrews attacked Holden for its “unacceptable” decision to alert the government only “just before” making its announcement. She said Holden was walking away from Australia. Mr Morrison said the carmaker's exit proved the company was “never going to respect” the subsidies it received. He said the departure showed the ineffectiveness of government propping up industry.

The Labor Party and the union movement hit back at the government, saying the policies of the Abbott government led to Holden’s demise. The Coalition government stripped $500 million worth of support for the car industry between 2013 and 2014. Labor’s industry spokesman, Kim Carr, said the decision was “a direct result of the hostility and abuse by the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments towards General Motors Holden, including [then-treasurer] Joe Hockey standing in the Parliament goading Holden to leave [in 2013].” GM has pulled the pin on Holden. ACTU secretary Sally McManus said supporting the manufacturing sector was crucial to maintaining a strong economy, "but the Coalition is so committed to globalisation and the free market, they will not lift a finger." Although Holden had been posting record low sales and moving out of right-hand-drive markets globally – which led to the end of the Commodore and Astra models late last year – Monday's announcement still came as a shock to industry veterans.

The federal government said it would work to support the sacked workers, pointing to some of the former Holden workers in South Australia who were redeployed into jobs in the burgeoning defence manufacturing industry. An engineer at the Holden design studio in Port Melbourne, who did not wish to be named, confirmed the office’s roughly 150 employees were told of its closure about midday. “I’m young, I don’t have my own family, I’ll be OK,” he said. “But I was standing next to people who are 20 or 30 years older than me who have kids and mortgages. I feel for them, you know.” Industry Minister Karen Andrews Credit:AAP The closure is likely to reverberate through the automotive industry, particularly for the approximately 200 Holden dealers who will stop selling the Commodore, the Colorado ute, Astra and a range of SUVs from showrooms by the end of the year.

Loading Julian Blissett, General Motors' senior vice-president of international operations, said the “agonising” decision came after examining numerous options to keep Australian operations alive. The axing followed a review of the company's operations in Australia and New Zealand that determined the business was not viable. "This was not a decision we took lightly, it was an agonising decision. Many of GM's senior leaders have very strong affinity with the iconic brand, including some of them working here. It is no reflection on the capability and commitment of the Holden team," he said. The company committed to honouring all warranties and servicing offers made at the time of sale. Holden said it would provide servicing and spare parts for at least 10 years, through national after-sales networks in Australia and New Zealand.