Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member very much for his question. I'm not sure who he thinks makes the HiLux—Lamborghini, maybe—because the chief executive of Toyota was just at a press conference with me and the minister for transport, explicitly disagreeing with the premise just put by the honourable member for New England. Who should we believe about Toyota? The member for New England or the chief executive of Toyota? Maybe the member for New England knows more about the impact on Toyota than the chief executive of Toyota. The Chief Executive of Toyota said, ' It has really been Toyota's position for some time that we wanted an emissions standard to basically help us with long-term product planning and where we're going. We wanted an emission standard that's basically ambitious but also brings people on a journey and doesn't leave people behind, and that is where we are. We appreciate the fact the government has given us an opportunity and a voice to all parties and have been able to be consulted. We think the amendments that have been made, we support the government in the amendments that have been made and I think they're a positive step forward.' He was asked explicitly whether he agreed with the coalition's description of our policy that the honourable member just put, and he said, 'No.' Why don't you ask us more about the position of Toyota?

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