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

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Does the minister fully support the recommendations of the Australian government’s Green Vehicle Guide website?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for the question. I am not familiar with the absolute detail of the Green Vehicle Guide. My recollection is that it is actually another minister’s portfolio responsibility.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Abetz is on his feet, waiting to ask a supplementary question. He is entitled to be heard in silence.

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

Believe it or not, Mr President, I do have a supplementary question to the minister who is responsible for the manufacture of automobiles in Australia. My supplementary question is this: given the 22 per cent collapse in new car sales last month revealed today, what action will the minister take to address the fact that the Green Vehicle Guide, which he seems to know nothing about, is being used by two state Labor governments—

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’re asking the wrong minister.

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

Queensland and Tasmania, Senator Sherry—to actively discriminate against Australian-made Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores being purchased for these states’ car fleets?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his questions. He thinks this is yet another cunning plan. Of course, the problem is that Senator Abetz has clearly got control of the tactics committee of the opposition on this.

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

Senator Minchin interjecting—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You would have thought that more attention would be paid, Senator Minchin, to asking serious questions. We now have a situation in Australia where we have a new government with a commitment to the automotive industry, a commitment which has been demonstrated with a $6.2 billion package, a government which has produced the most comprehensive industry package of any government in the history of the Commonwealth of Australia. We have a situation where the industry is facing acute challenges all around the world, and we have acute challenges being faced in this country by the automotive industry, but the truth of the matter is that the automotive industry in this country, despite the constant attempts to denigrate that industry by the opposition, is actually doing so much better. (Time expired)

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

Can I remind the minister that abuse is no substitute for substance. Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the $13 million grant to Ford for its Geelong engine plant upgrade, can the minister confirm whether the upgraded engine produced there will achieve the 5.5 rating or better on the Green Vehicle Guide website, as required of the Tasmanian and Queensland governments for their car fleets?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What the Australian government, the Labor government, has been able to do is, on the second occasion now, overturn decisions taken by companies to take action which would have been to the detriment of the Australian automotive industry. The first was, of course, with the hybrid Camry by Toyota, where we made a—

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

Mr President, I raise a point of order. Today is the last day of the trial and I direct your attention to the standing order on direct relevance. I would invite you, Mr President—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, resume your seat. I need to listen to what you are saying and there are people exchanging comments across the chamber. That is disorderly. Senator Abetz, you are entitled to be heard in silence.

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

Thank you, Mr President. My point of order is in relation to the issue of direct relevance. Toyota Camry hybrids and all sorts of things may be interesting but they bear no relevance whatsoever to the specific question about the Geelong Ford engine plant to which the minister has provided a grant. The question related to whether those new engines would achieve the 5.5 rating required by the Queensland and Tasmanian state Labor governments.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are 36 seconds remaining to answer the question. I draw the minister’s attention to the question that has been asked.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What I was saying is that the actions of this government have led to decisions and investments in the automotive industry—significant new investments in the case of Geelong Ford, where we now have a situation where the Euro 4 straight-six engine will continue to be built in Geelong, reversing a decision that had actually been taken under your government, Senator Abetz, to close the plant. The effect of this has been to see some 1,300 jobs—

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

Mr President, I raise a point of order in relation to direct relevance. A very specific question was asked and that was whether or not the upgraded engine would achieve the 5.5 rating. The answer is either ‘yes’ or ‘no’—or, as I suspect, ‘don’t know’.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order, notwithstanding that of course the trial has not finished—it will continue on; this is not its last day—what Senator Carr was doing was answering specifically in relation to the question about the Geelong engine plant. That is the question that was asked and Senator Carr was on the point—the quite narrow point—about the Geelong plant. In fact, the previous point of order that was taken was attempting to draw Senator Carr back to the Geelong plant. Senator Carr is on the Geelong plant and I humbly submit there is no point of order.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are six seconds left to answer the question, Senator Carr. I remind you of the question—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Jobs, jobs, jobs!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have not called you yet—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Jobs, jobs, jobs!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr, I have not called you yet. You are getting a little bit excited. We will set the clock at six seconds, as I said—

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Jobs, jobs, jobs!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr, you have not been called. You have six seconds to answer the question, and remain relevant.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to reinforce the point that this is all about jobs, jobs, jobs for Australian workers—high-quality, high-skilled jobs for Australian workers. (Time expired)