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

My question is to Senator Abetz, representing the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement as opposition leader in 2011:

I think any government which makes it harder to manufacture cars is making it harder for us to continue to be a first world economy …

Isn't it the case that removing $500 million from the Automotive Transformation Scheme makes it harder to manufacture cars in Australia? Isn't it the case that the Prime Minister's 14 December point-blank refusal to offer any financial assistance to Toyota makes it harder to manufacture cars in Australia? Isn't it the case that this government has thrown the automotive industry and Australia's advanced manufacturing to the scrap heap?

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

The short answer to the question is, absolutely, no. This is a question from a minister who presided over a job loss in the manufacturing sector every 19 minutes that he was the minister, over that six-year period.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Abetz, you are entitled to be heard in silence.

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

Given that the former minister was willing to provide me with a quote, allow me to respond that 'international company executives were left wondering just what they had to do to get a consistent government policy commitment in Australia'. Do you know what he was referring to? His very own government. Senator Carr was reflecting on his very own government. So we can trade quotes across the chamber, and at the end of the day—

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order, on my left! Senator Abetz is entitled to be heard in silence.

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

But at the end of the day what we have is a tragic situation where many Australian workers have, regrettably, lost their jobs—

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

On your watch.

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

Senator Wong interjects saying that happened on our watch. So you are responsible for Mitsubishi and Ford? Well done! Can I say I never engaged in that immature activity when you were in government.

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

I did not at all.

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

Senator Carr, interjections are disorderly. Senator Abetz is entitled to be heard in silence.

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

What it shows is that Senator Carr will distort the truth for his tawdry political exercise today. Many workers face an uncertain time. We are working with them, with the unions and with the companies to seek to ensure that they do have a future as individuals. The circumstances are difficult but we will work with them to ensure the best possible outcome, in circumstances where Toyota said that no matter what we did they would leave—as Holden did, and as Ford and Mitsubishi did with a Labor government. (Time expired)

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Will the government now recognise that its decision to force General Motors Holden out of Australia, with the consequential effect on the component manufacturing, had a direct and material effect on Nagoya and led to Toyota's decision not to build the new generation Camrys in Australia?

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

Once again, proof is never a relevant consideration for this particular former minister. What a shameful thing to say—that it was this government that forced Holden out of Australia, when we all know that Holden itself has repudiated that false assertion by Senator Carr. So, having been repudiated by Holden, Senator Carr still peddles the dishonest lines. Can I suggest to him: we do have difficult circumstances, and occasions like this require people to elevate themselves out of the political gutter and consider the future of these workers—workers whose future is now in doubt, and with whom we want to work to ensure a good future.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Mr President, you can hear those opposite—they do not want to hear the truth.

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

Order, on my left! Interjections are disorderly and Senator Abetz, as I have said already, is entitled to be heard in silence.

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

Removing the carbon tax would be another great boost to manufacturing.

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I ask the minister: can you confirm that the Prime Minister has once again today sought to blame the automotive workers in his address to the party room this morning? Is it yet another example of baseless accusations being made which are clearly refuted by the company's own statements?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order, on both sides!

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

I will not often indicate what has happened in the party room, but can I indicate, absolutely and utterly, that no such words were spoken, which again shows that Senator Carr will peddle any untruth to try to pursue his political agenda. What I can tell him is that a former Prime Minister, Paul Keating, blamed the union bosses of the AMWU for the loss of 100,000 manufacturing jobs in Australia. That was not a Liberal Prime Minister but a Labor Prime Minister blaming the AMWU for the loss of 100,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector. And, regrettably, the successors in the AMWU, represented by the likes of Senator Cameron and, before him, Senator George Campbell, have assisted in circumstances that make things very difficult. But, having said that, we know what Mr Keating said about the—(Time expired)