Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I took the question seriously and presumed that the Leader of the Opposition was actually concerned about these job losses. Obviously these workers are just political fodder to him; the same way that the steelworkers he stood alongside have just been props, because he has not been prepared to support their jobs. I am identifying the factors that Hydro Aluminium has pointed to as relating to the news today about these jobs: the strong Australian dollar, low metal prices and current international economic conditions. Minister Combet has spoken directly to the company today, and they are very clear that their current financial pressures have nothing to do with the carbon price. So the Leader of the Opposition should not come into this place and mislead. He should not do that.

Mr Baldwin interjecting—

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