Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. I refer to the minister's declaration 27 January that he had decided to intervene regarding proposed variations of Toyota workers' conditions. How does the minister reconcile his blatant attempt to blame workers' wages and entitlements with the clear statement from Toyota in support of their workforce? Toyota said:

While we have been undertaking the enormous task of transforming our business during the past two years, our people have joined us on the same journey, which makes it even more difficult to announce this decision.

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

I fully agree with the vast majority of Senator Collins's question. The Toyota management and their workforce did work together; they did go on a journey together. In fact, the Toyota management wanted to put a proposition to their workforce, and so lacking in confidence were the AMWU union bosses that they sought court intervention to say that management should not be allowed to ask workers whether they wanted to vote for a proposition or not. My intervention was simply to determine whether or not—

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They didn't ask you to intervene.

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

Senator Collins interjects, saying, 'Toyota didn't ask you to intervene.' You know what? I do not do the bidding of the union movement or the employers. I act in the national interest.

Opposition senators interjecting —

I know that is a foreign concept to those opposite, but we act in the national interest. To make it clear, we were not asked by Toyota to intervene. We intervene in the national interest, when we believe that there are matters to be determined. So we did not enter that debate in a partisan manner, to say that that which Toyota sought to put to its workforce was either right or wrong, good, bad or indifferent. All we were saying is the legislation does actually allow, and the enterprise agreement does actually allow, the proposition to be put to the workers. Why, Senator Collins, are you and the Labor Party and the union bosses so scared of giving workers a voice and a decision in genuine industrial democracies?

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought this was questions to you.

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

You did not want the workers to have a voice and, as a result, amongst all the other things, they will now no longer get that opportunity. (Time expired)

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, at last I have an opportunity to ask a supplementary question. I should make it clear: I do not have the opportunity to respond to questions from the minister.

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

Order! This is not a time to debate the issue. You need to ask the question.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the government recognise that it is in fact their decision to rip $500 million in assistance out of the industry and not workers who are to blame for this disastrous decision?

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

It appears as though the lack of consideration for the truth in these matters, as exemplified from Senator Carr, has moved down the road to Senator Collins. The simple fact is that Toyota said, like Holden did, like Ford did and like Mitsubishi did: 'No matter what the government might put up, we will not be able to continue manufacturing.' Indeed, in March 2012, Ms Gillard announced $215 million for Holden, saying that it would secure its future in Australia until 2022. But, within months, 670 jobs were lost. So the Labor Party promise, the Labor Party guarantee, stood for absolutely nothing.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order that goes to relevance. I have given the minister sufficient time. The particular question was around the $500 million withdrawal. That has not been referred to in the answer.

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

There is no point of order at this stage. The minister is answering the question and the minister still has six seconds.

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

I hope there is another supplementary. Stefan Jacoby, Asia-Pacific General Manager of General Motors, completely and utterly rejects— (Time expired)

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, my second supplementary question is: when will the government stop using workers to distract from the real issues facing manufacturing in this country, like the high dollar, which he referred to before, but also the lack of government support?

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

Mr President, just very quickly: Mr Yasuda of Toyota did say:

When you go to the factory, even with my own eyes, I can see there are so many things we can improve.

That is what Toyota themselves said. In relation to Holden, Stefan Jacoby said:

... I initiated this decision because I am the leader of the markets and … the decision was driven purely by business rationale and not by any direction this government or any future government would give for their auto industry in Australia.

This completely rejects your false assertion. Why do you continue to peddle these false assertions in the light of what General Motors say and what Toyota say. It is absolutely clear, and yet you play your tawdry political games.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Can I assure the Australian people that, despite the interjections, we will continue to work with workers to ensure they get the best possible outcome. (Time expired)