Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion which expresses concern about the South Australian government's decision to slash support for its remote areas energy scheme, which subsidises off-grid generation for isolated communities. I note the member for Wakefield is leaving before I have a chance to mention the subsidies that go into his electorate. I would have thought the member for Wakefield would have stood in total shoulder-to-shoulder support with the member for Grey, seeing as the industry in his electorate—he was not going to mention it, but I will mention it—the car industry, the General Motors Holden plant, is probably the most subsidised industry in Australia, and with very good reason. Where there is a need, industries should have support. You cannot choose between your children. You cannot say an industry in the seat of Wakefield, which absorbs billions of dollars of taxpayers' money in the forward estimates—

Mr Champion interjecting—

billions—trust me, I gave them the money, I know exactly how much they get. Mr Deputy Speaker, you cannot say the car industry in Wakefield is worthy of subsidies but the opal industry in Coober Pedy is not.

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