Robert Simms (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I also briefly want to comment on this report and, as a South Australian, put on the record my support for ensuring that we do what we can to support our automotive industry during this period of transition. In my home state of South Australia, we face an economy that is experiencing transition at the moment, transitioning away from coal and carbon within the economy more broadly, but we are also seeing the decline of the manufacturing industry. In that context, it is really critical that we do all that we can to harness the skills of our manufacturing industry and to create new green jobs for the future.

In South Australia, we have Holden due to close from 2017. That is going to have an enormous impact on jobs in South Australia, so we need to ensure that we have a plan in place to move people from employment within existing manufacturing industries into new jobs of the future. Members would be aware Senator Rice and myself have introduced a bill looking at green cars and how we can provide support for that transition in South Australia and in Victoria. I certainly look forward to working with my colleagues here in the Senate to progress that agenda.

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.