Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I hope that I might be in a position to sum up in relation to the opposition’s amendment. I have raised a lot of matters. I note that they have not been engaged with by other honourable senators, and I assume that is because there is no logical response to them. I will briefly respond to Senator Milne’s suggestions. Once again, we see the Greens talking down the Australian car industry. We actually live in a society where car companies can make their own decisions. If private enterprise has somehow misinterpreted the market trends, that is something for private enterprise to bear. It is not something that you would visit on the Australian government. It is interesting, isn’t it, that Senator Milne took great comfort in what country? In China—with a command economy, where the government determines everything and where human rights are, I think, in a somewhat lesser state of repair than they are in Australia. But that is the country that she takes succour and comfort from in relation to this debate. This is a country with a one-child policy and penalties if you have more than one child. Guess what? A lot of people in China can deal with very small cars. You try and fit three baby seats across the back seat of some of those small cars. I confess I speak from personal experience, having used a booster and two car seats for my three children at one stage. You try to fit them into the sorts of vehicles that Senator Milne talked about—and, of course, for safety reasons you would not.

In relation to her comments about the Australian car industry, in fact the Australian car industry took a decision that there would be some very real opportunities in export markets with their vehicles—and they have been successful. The Holden ute has been exported into the United States; in the Middle East our vehicles are being very well received. The problem in the Australian car market is not that people are deserting the family six for smaller vehicles or more fuel efficient vehicles; they are in fact buying four-wheel drives and cars that are less fuel efficient.

I will sum up in this way: what the Greens say always sounds good until you start injecting the facts. Once you start injecting the facts, their arguments crumble and are unsubstantiated. One thing I would like to respond to is Senator Milne’s comment that countries such as Germany, France and England are now getting plug-in stations where you can take your electric car. In inner-city and suburban areas, this is a great thing. That is why we were against the government’s $35 million deal with Toyota, because we are getting old technology and, if we were going to use government money, we should have been investing in the newer technology. But do you know where those plug-in stations source their power from? I had better not mention it, because the Greens might hear; I will keep my voice low. In France, for instance, 87 per cent of the plug-in power is generated by nuclear energy. Of course, that is another debate that I will not go into now. Having said all that, I commend the opposition amendments to the committee.

Question put:

That the requests (Senator Abetz’s) be agreed to.