Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Acting Prime Minister. Will the government support the opposition’s plan to protect Australian jobs by reviewing laws relating to insolvency to give top priority to restructuring and rehabilitating Australian businesses rather than liquidation and fire sale?

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. The government’s position is to support the creation of Australian jobs. That is why we acted decisively with the economic security statement, which of course is about priming the economy, including an estimated priming of 75,000 jobs. As the Prime Minister has made clear, the government will also be looking at fast-tracking infrastructure, with further statements to be made about that matter in December. On the question of structural adjustments and on work with industry and businesses that find themselves under pressure in these difficult days, the government has acted proactively to support the car industry with a major package of assistance for the car industry. People may have noted after that government decision that Ford in Geelong has made a different decision about the potential closure of its plant there—very good news for people in Geelong and the associated region. We also indicated at the time of the economic security statement that we would be reserving 10,000 of the new productivity places—the training places for skills and jobs—for structural adjustment purposes. We are putting in place those policies and plans. In terms of assessing any ideas from the opposition, if they hold one for more than 24 hours then they may care to forward it.