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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I refer to four days of persistent and pernicious backgrounding against Holden by senior ministers in the coalition government. Which ministers are providing these anonymous briefings designed to damage Holden?

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

I do not know about pernicious briefings, but I do know about pernicious policies. The pernicious policies that those opposite pursued are the policies of the carbon tax and the FBT, which drove many people out of work. Those opposite can cry their crocodile tears. I do not see the crocodile in the chamber, but clearly the tears are here.

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

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. It is a question of direct relevance. This was a question that went specifically to the issue of backgrounding by senior government ministers against General Motors Holden and we have not heard a word on that subject by the minister.

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

There is no point of order. The minister is addressing the issue. The minister has one minute and 30 seconds remaining. I call the minister.

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

I think on this side we can all understand the great sensitivity by former Minister Carr, who presided over the announcement of Mitsubishi to leave Australia and also Ford to leave Australia. I was asked by the Leader of the Opposition in this place about these pernicious briefings. As I said at the very beginning of my answer, I do not know of any pernicious briefings by any minister in the government. I then went on to remind those opposite—

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

Four days.

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

that the pernicious policies of the Labor Party went on, not for four days, Leader of the Opposition, but month after month with a carbon tax that has put a reverse tariff on each and every Australian-made motor vehicle. It is a tariff that exists—

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, again on direct relevance. The minister has actually effectively answered the question. There is no need for more background briefing.

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

There is no point of order. The minister is in continuance. The minister has 26 seconds remaining.

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

Every single automotive worker knows that the carbon tax is destructive to their jobs. Everybody in Holden knows how destructive the FBT policy was. Here we have a former general secretary of the AMWU for his own political purposes selling out the workers of this country. (Time expired)

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

When there is silence I will call Senator Wong.

Honourable senators interjecting—

I will call Senator Wong when there is silence on both sides. I call Senator Wong.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I again refer the minister to the backgrounding by senior ministers against Holden, the most recent of which was reported today. Given that Mr Macfarlane has asked the media to identify the sources of the backgrounding, has the Prime Minister taken steps to identify those responsible? What steps has the Prime Minister taken?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! The minister is entitled to be heard in silence.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Silence on my left! I call the minister.

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

I wonder who said this about automotive policy: that it left international company executives wondering just what they had to do to get a consistent government policy commitment in Australia. It was none other than Senator Kim Carr on his own government's policies in relation to the automotive sector.

Let us be very clear. I have said that I am not aware of any background briefing referred to by the Leader of the Opposition, but I am aware of on the record comments by the former undistinguished minister for industry and I am also aware of comments by the South Australian Premier in relation to Labor policies having a detrimental impact on the motor vehicle industry. I am more than happy to go through those for the benefit of those opposite. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

When there is silence, I will give Senator Wong the call. I call Senator Wong.

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I again refer to the four days of backgrounding by ministers that has been widely reported in reputable media outlets that the minister appears to not have noticed. Do firms now have to factor in the sovereign risk of coalition senior ministers speculating anonymously on market sensitive matters?

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

The only sovereign risk that was a real problem for the automotive sector was the promise by a party saying there would be no carbon tax and then introducing a carbon tax, and then a government introducing an FBT policy which was designed—I do not know what for, but it caused devastation within the motor vehicle sector within Australia.

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

Order! Senator Abetz. Senator Moore is on her feet.

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

They should have got Senator Farrell to be manager!

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

I have a point of order, Mr President. My point of order refers to—

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! I remind honourable senators that Senator Moore is on her feet and is entitled to be heard in silence on both sides.

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

Mr President, again my point of order is on relevance. The question was specifically about background briefings. The minister has not gone near it and he is halfway through his answer.

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

The minister is addressing the question. The minister still has 31 seconds remaining. I call upon the minister.

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

I was asked about the issue of sovereign risk and the issue of sovereign risk was highlighted by those opposite.

Senator Wong interjecting—

The honourable Leader of the Opposition in this place can make all the noise she likes but the reality is the only sovereign risk to the automotive sector was the introduction of the carbon tax and the threat of the fringe benefits tax. We seek to remove both those sovereign-risk issues and we invite the Labor Party to support us in that task. (Time expired)