David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. Given that the government has admitted that the funding made available to Toyota did not go to cabinet for discussion, which government departments, if any, made the recommendation to provide $35 million to Toyota?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Minchin interjecting—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You spent $10 billion on water without going to cabinet.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. I thought the interjection by Senator Wong, pointing to the fact that Senator Minchin was not consulted about a $10 billion program while finance minister, was a perfect response to the question. This is a decision of government. We take full responsibility for the decision. It is a decision of government that is the first instalment out of the $500 million green car fund—which, funnily enough, we took to the election and we delivered on, as distinct from your performance in government. The Australian public are noticing the difference. We committed to something and we delivered on it. We said we would have a $500 million green car fund and—guess what—we have. What have we done? Shock, horror: we have made the first instalment on that. We are actually delivering on our election commitments—and, if you pass the budget bills, we will deliver on them all, because we will be able to. So the weight will be on you in the next couple of days. We have all these things that you are opposed to, but you are going to have to put your hands up. If you are fiscally responsible, we will see you support the government’s budget. We are delivering on our budget commitments and our election commitments. We said we would have a $500 million Green Car Innovation Fund, and we have got it. The government has said that the first—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Senate will come to order.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. As I was saying, this is the first instalment out of that $500 million fund—$35 million to support Toyota doing this in Australia rather than in Thailand. I think that is quite important. Toyota publicly acknowledged that the government’s support was a critical factor in securing local production. So we stand very proudly behind the decision that has delivered that development to Australia and delivered those jobs to Victoria. We think this will serve Australia well and, more broadly, we think the development of a green car project is a very good thing. I point out to senators that industry commitment to this project has to be on at least a three to one basis. We are providing a capital grant, but the investment by Toyota will be much larger.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I have not heard anything at all yet about departments or advice that he may have received, which was the point of the question. It was quite specific. The answer has not even touched on that yet, and we are 3½ minutes into it.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I remind senators, particularly those who have been here for a long time, that ministers’ answers have ranged far and wide for many, many years. It is important that they contain at least some sort of a response to the question that is asked and relate to the question. Senator Evans is in order.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said to the senator after he first asked the question: this is a government decision which has been publicly committed to, publicly announced and is being publicly defended by me and every other minister of the government. We are very confident that this is an appropriate decision. We are delivering on our election commitments. It is not core and non-core—it is not saying one thing to the public before the election and doing something different—we actually said we were going to deliver on a Green Car Innovation Fund and we were going to commit $500 million to make sure that happened, and that is what we are doing. While those opposite might be uncomfortable with this whole idea of delivering on one’s commitments, we are actually very proud of it. What we are doing is delivering. This is the first instalment. This is a contract with Toyota to ensure that they develop their hybrid Camry in Australia. I think it is a good thing. It is a good thing for jobs, it is a good thing for development of technology, it is a good thing for consumers in terms of fuel savings and it is a good thing in terms of the fight against carbon emissions. I hope you get on board and support it.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I take it from the minister’s answer that, quite clearly, they took advice from no department—he made it quite clear that it was a government policy decision—so maybe the minister could inform me of the date Toyota was informed of the government’s policy decision to give them $35 million.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I made clear to the senator, and I do not think he gets it, it is a government decision. We do not have the departments tell us what to do; we make decisions. Governments make decisions. The departments provide advice; governments make decisions. This government has made a decision and we will honour it.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: he has answered the first question—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bushby, there is no point of order because he has concluded his answer.