Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I would agree with the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate that indeed it is a sad day that GM have made their announcement not to continue with production of motor vehicles in Australia. This decision is regrettable, especially for all those people that are gainfully employed by General Motors. They will be facing a bleak Christmas; there is no doubt about that. I understand from GM that they have all the redundancy and other requirements for the workers in hand and that there will not necessarily be any extra assistance required from government in relation to FEG or matters of that nature.

One thing, of course, that we would seek to do for each one of those families is, if the Labor Party were to allow us to do so, to provide them with a reduction of $550 per annum in their household budgeting by the removal of the carbon tax.