Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry. Can the minister advise the House how many jobs in the automotive supply chain the government believes will be at risk if Holden leaves Australia?

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question but at this stage we are not working on the pretext that Holden is leaving the country; we are working on the pretext that the industry will continue. If the Labor Party were so concerned about the car industry's future, they would not have sat quietly by while Mitsubishi left the country, while Ford announced that they were leaving the country, while they introduced a $1.8 billion hit—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order under 104(a): you do not find a more specific question than this. It is simply asking how many jobs would be affected and it deserves a decent answer.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question was asked in the context of the car industry. The minister is relevant.

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

of the car industry in Australia. Those who sit opposite just want to politicise the issue; they just want to frighten people about how many jobs might be lost if the chicken crosses the road. We are working on a solution for the car industry and we will continue to do so.