Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Senator Ronaldson. Under the previous government, the Enterprise Connect program provided almost $1.4 million to 104 small-to-medium firms in Tasmania to help improve their business performance. Minister, given the continuing job losses in this region, why has the government automatically excluded these Tasmanian firms, and any others previously assisted by Enterprise Connect, from the Entrepreneurs' Infrastructure Programme unveiled last week?

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Page 16!

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, it is not actually. Can I thank the senator for the question. I am not entirely sure whether that was a full saving or a reduction. But if you are telling me it was a reduction, then I am prepared to accept that. But if I can please just turn, if I may, to the situation in Tasmania and what the government is doing in relation to Tasmania itself. You have asked me a question about what needs to be done in Tasmania. As the honourable senator would appreciate, the Tasmanian economy, as a result of 16 years of Labor and then a Labor-Greens alliance, has the highest unemployment in the country and the lowest retention rates in the country. And that is why we have put together the Tasmanian Major Projects Approval—

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

I rise on a point of order. It is on direct relevance. The question specifically relates to the Entrepreneurs' Infrastructure Programme and firms that have been excluded from that program in Tasmania. If we could draw the minister's attention to that question.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He needs a life raft!

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Carr! Thank you, Senator Moore. I noted that Senator Ronaldson was directly relevant at the commencement of his question. And he still has nearly under half his time remaining to answer. Senator Ronaldson, I will draw your attention back to the question.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr President. Either the honourable senator is interested in what is going to be done for Tasmania or is not. So if she just wants to play politics, that is fine.

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

We get the interjection from the worst industry minister in the nation's history, who has made a seamless transition to the worst shadow minister in Australia's history!

Opposition senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Wong on a point of order? Order, senators on my left! Your leader is on her feet seeking the call.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise on a point of order. The question was about the Enterprise Connect program and the Entrepreneurs' Infrastructure Programme. The minister has not even gone close to those two programs. I would ask him to take question time a little more seriously—it is a serious question—and return to the question.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, you have 23 seconds left answer the question. I draw your attention to the question.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Of course, it would help if the Opposition Leader did not constantly interject during question time for a whole range of questions. At any event, can I just please make it absolutely clear that this government is committed to promoting investment and jobs in Tasmania. Senator, that is the very reason that we put in place— (Time expired)

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I ask a supplementary question—and I will try again. This week it was announced that 350 jobs would go at the Henty Gold Mine and Mount Lyell copper mine on Tasmania's west coast. The west coast is an important part of the Mersey-Lyell region, which is already identified as one of the most economically vulnerable in Australia. Why is the government cutting vital assistance to small employers in this region?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator. But if you are going to look through the budget papers, can I suggest that you do not selectively pull out things for political purposes. The Entrepreneurs' Infrastructure Programme is a $484 million program. The Industry Skills Fund, which, of course, will benefit everyone in Tasmania, is part of the government's initiatives. What we are not prepared to do is sit back and watch what happened over the last six years in relation to these plethora of programs that were achieving nothing but costing a lot.

You asked me about the copper mines of Tasmania. As you know it—oh, you did not ask me about that; I am terribly sorry!

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr President. The point of order is around relevance. My question was: why is the government cutting vital assistance to small employers in this region? And I would ask that the minister be directed to answer.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has 11 seconds left to answer the question. Again, I draw the minister's attention to the question.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was I thinking that you were asking about job losses at this unfortunate closure of the Mount Lyell mine. But if you were not, that is okay. But what I will say to you is, if you look at those things that are being— (Time expired)

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the economic challenges facing Tasmania's Mersey-Lyell region, can the minister guarantee that the innovation centre in Burnie will remain open to assist small-to-medium businesses in that area?

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

) ( ): Clearly, the honourable senator would know that, as the representative minister, I will have to take that on notice. But what I do not need to take on notice is a question on some of the initiatives in this budget that are going to help the people of Tasmania. I do not need to tell you—and if you have not read it, you should do so—but you should look at the government's proposals for Tasmania. There is a quite specific Tasmanian project office which is going in there.It is a quite specific attempt to undo 16 years of diabolical mismanagement by a party of which you are a part.

We believe in the people of Tasmania. We are going to assist the people of Tasmania and you either support us or you keep on playing these very cheap political games.