HOLDEN CEO Mike Devereux says the company has not decided to close its Australian manufacturing operations, despite reports they would shut down in 2016.

Mr Devereux has assured SA Premier Jay Weatherill that no decision has been made about the future of the car manufacturer in Australia.

Mr Weatherill fronted media this morning outside Holden's Elizabeth factory and said it was clear some members of Federal Cabinet had made their minds up to get rid of the car maker.

He said the Federal Government was trying to force Holden to make the decision to close so it could avoid blame for getting rid of thousands of jobs.

"It's an absolute disgrace these workers ... have to put up with this game playing," he said.

"Holden's have made it clear that ... no decision has been made."

Mr Weatherill accused the Federal Government of "squabbling like school children among themselves", throwing the country into "utter policy chaos".

He said that in recent discussions Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane had told him the Federal Government was organising resourcing for Holden in the short term. But, Mr Weatherill said, it was now unclear whether that would go ahead.

media_camera Holden Cruze assembly line at the Elizabeth plant ... General Motors has reportedly decided to close Holden car manufacturing operations in Australia

Other SA ministers have also weighed into the debate.

Deputy Premier John Rau said the State Government was "very concerned about what appears to be gaming by members of the federal front bench, who are apparently backgrounding journalists in an attempt to whiteant confidence here in SA and the future that might be there for General Motors".

"It is extremely regrettable that that sort of thing is going on when the State Government is totally committed to supporting a future for Holdens here," he said.

"The last thing we need is people undermining confidence in Holdens and, in particular, undermining confidence the workforce at Holden have about their own future.

"It's extremely unfair on those people and unfair on the state.

"If they are backgrounding people in that way, it just shows that what's going on at the Federal level is a complete charade to kick responsiblity for the Holden future out beyond March of next year and therefore avoid any Liberal responsiblity for what comes.

"We really need a decision from the Federal government to support our car industry before the end of this month."

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said he was concerned to hear SA-based Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne on radio talking down Holden.

"Where is Minister Ian Macfarlane?" Mr Koutsantonis asked.

"Why is the Federal Education Minister talking about industry matters in SA?

"We can't have the Prime Minister saying one thing, his industry minister saying nothing and his eductation minister talking down SAand SA jobs."

"Quite frankly, the whole situation is unacceptable. This is no way to govern a nation let alone a way to do industry assistance."

SA secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, John Camillo, said he had been told that the closure reports were simply speculation.

"The workers are very devastated in regard to the speculation," he said.

Mr Camillo said Holden had committed to writing to workers by lunchtime to reassure them no decision on the company's future had been made.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has called on Holden to urgently clarify exactly what its intentions are.

Mr Abbott this morning weighed into the debate about Holden, saying the carmaker had told the government it was "in two minds" about its future in Australia.

Both his government and Holden had denied reports a decision to close its manufacturing operations in Australia had already been taken.

"I do wish that Holden would clarify their intentions because at the moment they have everyone on tenterhooks," Mr Abbott said.

"The message we are getting from Holden is they are in two minds and I would like them to clarify what their position is.

"They are weighing their options and they owe it to the people of Australia to say what they are doing - they owe it to say whether they are staying or going."

Mr Abbott said there would be no more money for the carmaker in addition to what was promised during the election campaign.

"There is not going to be any extra money over and above the generous support taxpayers have been giving for some time."

Mr Abbott's comments came after Mr Camillo demanded he "intervene immediately" to prevent a Holden factory shutdown, which he said would kill the entire car manufacturing industry.

Mr Camillo told News Corp Australia: "Prime Minister Tony Abbott must act now, there is no more time for waiting.

"He can save this industry and the tens of thousands of jobs that go with it, or he can end up with a disaster on his hands.

"He can save Holden right now if he intervenes immediately and takes action before the Productivity Commission delivers its preliminary report (on December 20).

"If Holden goes, the whole industry will come to a standstill."

Mr Camillo also issued a strong warning to Holden, urging the carmaker to inform workers "the moment a decision has been made by General Motors".

"The workers should be the first people to know, even ahead of the union," said Mr Camillo. "The workers should not be hearing reports leaked through the media. Holden has a duty of care to these workers."

ABC TV news last night, quoting unnamed Federal Government sources, claimed General Motors has already decided to close Holden's Elizabeth factory and was due to make an announcement before Christmas.

The report claimed that the announcement had been delayed until after the Holden factory's scheduled summer shutdown over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Holden CEO Mike Devereux met with both the morning and afternoon shift workers at the Elizabeth factory yesterday, but gave no indication a decision was imminent.

"He told the workers he will continue as the CEO of Holden until next February, and that he will give a verbal briefing to the Productivity Commission next Tuesday," said Mr Camillo.

"He gave no indication if a decision would be made before Christmas or after Christmas, and the workers thought it was a reasonable meeting."

However, the union has called on Holden executives to brief workers today.

"They need to let workers know if there is any truth to the speculation by the end of shift today," said Mr Camillo. "It's unfair for these workers to go home and all weekend wonder if they've got a job or not."

Holden has not yet indicated if it will address workers again today.

A statement from Holden issued this morning said: "We do not respond to speculation. Our discussions with the Government are ongoing."

Last night the Federal Government said a report that General Motors in the US had already decided to close its Australian operations was untrue.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane dismised the ABC report, which said its sources were other senior Coalition ministers.

"Consultations are continuing in good faith with Australian carmakers, the components industry and workers," a spokeswoman for the minister said.

"The Productivity Commission is continuing its work assessing the Australian automotive industry and will report to the Government. That process is unchanged and will continue."

The ABC report, attributed to senior ministers, last night said the American carmaker had decided to pull out of struggling operations in Australia and had planned to make the announcement this week.

"The ABC understands that Holden has made the decision to cease its Australian productions regardless of an assistance package," the report said.

It saids the announcement was scheduled for this week, but had been put off until early next year.

However, News Corp Australia is aware that Holden has been debating whether, once a decision was made, to announce the shutdown to workers before or after Christmas.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill last night rang Mr Macfarlane and said he had been told Holden had denied the reports.

Mr Weatherill said last night that Coalition ministers were "briefing against their own colleagues, exposing the deep divisions in the Liberal Party over the auto industry's future".

"It is now time for the Prime Minister to intervene because this cannot be allowed to continue. This ongoing speculation is incredibly damaging to Holden and to the workers," he said.

This morning, on ABC radio, he said the speculation over Holden shutting its plant from 2016 was just rumour-mongers in the Coalition hoping to get the government out of providing any more taxpayer assistance.

"There is a split in the Liberal Party on this issue," he told the ABC.

"What they are doing is undermining the livelihood of tens of thousands of South Australians and other Australians in auto industry. They are showing a complete lack of regard for those Australians who rely on Holden for their livelihood.

"This is madness at every level."

South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon said he was not giving up on the carmaker staying in his home state and asked how much more we would pay in Centrelink payments than we are paying in industry assistance if Holden closes.

"What the hell is going on? We need to know," he said yesterday.

"I believe Ian Macfarlane, I'm not sure I believe other ministers in Cabinet.

"The PM needs to back Ian Macfarlane as a matter of urgency.

"This is not just about SA. This is about 50,000 jobs being lost."

Fellow South Australian MP and Coalition frontbencher Christopher Pyne said it was not up to the government to tell Holden how to run its business.

"This is a decision of Holden's," Mr Pyne told the Nine Network.

"We in the federal Liberal Party want to support the car industry as much as possible but at the end of the day Holden makes a decision on what is viable for its business. We can't make that for them."

Opposition industry minister Kim Carr said it was imperative Tony Abbott stepped in and led the debate on the issue.

News Corp Australia has been told there were rumours on the factory floor this week that Holden was going to announce the shutdown on December 20, the last day of work before the summer break and the same day the preliminary Productivity Commission report on the industry was due to be published.

It is understood there was concern about announcing the shutdown before the summer break because of the personal effect it could have on the workers and their families.

However, historically, car companies have tended to share the grim news with employees soon after a decision has been made.

When Ford announced the 2016 closure of its Australian operations in May, it did so less than a week after the decision was made to prevent any leaks to the media.

A 2016 closure would coincide with the timing of the end of the new Commodore's current lifecycle.

However a secret SA Government document prepared in August floated the idea of a 2018 shutdown by extending the life of the current Cruze and Commodore.

Holden yesterday confirmed boss Mike Devereux was staying on in the role until next February.

Mr Devereux was supposed to finish up this month after being promoted to a senior international role with General Motors, based in China. Mr Devereux made a surprise visit to the Elizabeth Holden factory yesterday to address workers.

- with Lauren Novak and Sheradyn Holderhead