David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr, following reports today about the production of the Holden Commodore possibly ending in Australia. Why did the government demand in 2008 that Holden open its books and sign a letter of commitment about its Australian investment plans for the next decade when it broke $1.8 billion worth of promises to the car industry less than three years later, in an act that Ian Jones of the AMWU described as 'abject betrayal'? Why are the commitments this government makes to the car industry never kept?

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 do enjoy the Liberal Party asking me questions about the automotive industry, given that in the debate for the establishment of the ATS they actually said it was a waste of money. And they have a current policy position to take a further $500 million out of the ATS. This is a party that has campaigned against the automotive industry for many years. This is a party that masquerades around as having great sympathy for manufacturing workers.

We all know in politics that sincerity is a key commodity. As Oscar Wilde said, 'Once you can fake that you've got it made.' And that is exactly what you are about. You are about faking your sincerity and your commitment to the automotive industry. You have absolutely no leg to stand on in this regard.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order on relevance.

Government senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Fawcett is entitled to be heard.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You know what that shows: that you're not relevant!

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

Order! Senator Cameron! Senator Fawcett.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, the point of order is very simple and straightforward: it is relevance.

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

The minister has 52 seconds remaining. I draw the minister's attention to the question.

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

The senator who asked me this question is relatively new. If he had a bit more experience he would have sent this question back, because this is the hospital pass that you would expect to give to a new senator. The Liberal Party had a policy at the last election—

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. You have drawn this senator's attention to the question. He continues to defy you. Will you bring him to order?

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

Senator Carr, you have 42 seconds remaining to address the question. I draw you attention to the question.

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

The Green Car Innovation Fund was a tremendous success: $500 million or thereabouts was committed, and it attracted some $2 billion in co-investment. We were obliged to take action as a result of the floods in Queensland. Not in any respect, in any way, have we removed our commitment to the automotive industry—unlike the policy of those opposite, which is to destroy the automotive industry. They have a policy right now to remove $500 million of support from the Automotive Transformation Scheme. This is an opposition that has absolutely no sympathy for Australian manufacturing— (Time expired)

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Isn't uncertainty about the car industry's future the inevitable result of what Holden CEO Mike Devereux described in June as this government's 'political flip-flopping'? What is the minister's response to Mr Devereux 's claim this morning that there has been an unnecessary escalation of sovereign risk for this industry?

Government senators interjecting —

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

Order! When there is silence we will continue.

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

What Mr Devereux has indicated to me and has said publicly is that he welcomes the partnership that has been developed between the Australian government and General Motors Holden which, through the deployment of our new car plan, is the saviour of the company. The results of the new car plan have been to secure the future of automotive manufacturing in this country. We have gone through the worst economic crisis that this industry has seen since the Great Depression. Mr Devereux has made it very, very clear that the support the Australian government has provided in terms of its co-investment policies has secured the future of the company in this country. This is in very, very sharp contrast with the policy of the Liberal Party which is to take $500 million out of the ATS. An opposition that went to the last election with a policy in— (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

When there is silence we will continue.

Opposition senators interjecting—

I just point out to those on my left that it is Senator Fawcett who is on his feet waiting to ask the question.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Following the recent industrial action at Toyota and given Mr Devereux's comments today about the role of APESMA in making this news public, what actions has the minister taken and what assurances has he personally sought to ensure that trade unions do not intend to pursue damaging industrial action and unnecessarily endanger the car industry's future in Australia?

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

We have a series of enterprise negotiations currently underway in the auto industry in Australia. You will from time to time get comments being made. I am not going to comment on the argy-bargy that goes on in terms of that position. What I can say is that the government works very closely with this industry to secure its future. What workers can be absolutely certain of and have absolute confidence in is the commitment of this government to the future of their jobs and to the future of this industry. Unlike those opposite, we actually stand ready to defend this industry and to ensure the prosperity of manufacturing in this country. You have a policy of ending waste in the automotive industry. That was a policy you took to the last election. You have now got a position of withdrawing further support to the automotive industry. So if ever we had a case of crocodile tears we have it here today. Senator Fawcett, it would be a really good idea if you sent back this sort of rubbish to the tactics committee. (Time expired)