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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note that the minister said he would take the reasons for the closure of the program on notice, but I would ask him also to explain why the government's budget announcement said that they were closing this valuable program one year early. It made this announcement without any warning to the industry. I ask again: why is the government pulling the rug out from under Australia's textile manufacturers, many of whom have made investments based on the availability of this grant funding?