Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given the tragic absence of Senator Carr this week, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Evans. Can the minister explain how the government’s $35 million gift to Toyota to assemble the hybrid Camry in Australia will most effectively reduce global greenhouse emissions, given there are currently some 78 more fuel efficient cars being made around the world than the hybrid Camry, which the government is proposing to support?

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 his question. I acknowledge that Senator Carr is not here, but I suspect Senator Birmingham must not have been here yesterday because I thought we dealt with these issues fairly comprehensively. I am happy to, again, expand on the breadth of my knowledge of these issues. I made it very clear yesterday that, as part of the government’s commitment to the development of green car innovation, we are going to contribute, as was announced, $35 million to Toyota’s much larger investment in this hybrid Camry production. I think your question, Senator Birmingham, implies that somehow Toyota are not investing in this, that somehow it is a contribution by the government. What we are doing is making a small capital grant of $35 million as part of a much broader investment by Toyota. For you to prove your argument that somehow this is an ineffective argument you must say that Toyota are acting against their self-interest, that they do not think this is a worthwhile project. They think this is a very worthwhile project. They had to choose where to do it, and partly because of the support they got from this government they decided to do this development work in Australia.

We think that is a really good thing for Australia. We think it is a really good thing for the Australian car industry and I am surprised that the opposition are unprepared to support the future of the Australian car industry. This hybrid will make a contribution to the development of cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicle transport in this country. This is part of that contribution. Yes, there are other models like the Prius and others being developed which are going down this path. What this means is that Toyota will look to develop its hybrid Camry in Australia. It will receive the support of the Australian government and the Victorian government. We think it is a really good project. We think it will assist in reducing carbon emissions and lead us to cleaner vehicle technologies. I think that, while it is not the only measure, it is one of a number and it is one that is worth supporting.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that the minister did not deny that there are 78 more fuel efficient options. In fact, he even conceded that there were other more fuel efficient options that the government could have considered. Minister, is it not a fact that an average Australian family driving the hybrid Camry will not save the $1,000 per year the Prime Minister has claimed, but will save just $585 per year? Did the Prime Minister not mislead Australians when he said that an ‘average family driving some 20,000 kilometres a year’ will save ‘up to $1,000’ with one of these hybrid Camrys. Is this not just further proof that the government’s $35 million gift to Toyota was all about spin over substance and not evidence based at all?

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

I think the only spin is that in the question. What a rambling, confusing question. The answer to the question is this: I do not know how many other options are being developed by other car companies. What we do know is that Toyota have committed to building a hybrid Camry in this country and we have committed to supporting it. We have committed $35 million out of a $500 million fund we have established. So this is a first instalment of a large program about driving more fuel efficient vehicles in this country. It is a commitment that the previous government was not prepared to make because it was so torn about whether it believed in climate change or not. We made an election commitment, we are delivering on it and the Australian people will, I think, be grateful that we have made that commitment. Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.