Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday when he asserted that it was ‘incorrect’ that Labor mate Steve Bracks was to be appointed to head an inquiry into the automotive industries. In light of the minister’s own confirmation today that Mr Bracks will indeed head this inquiry, can the minister now confirm that he misled the Senate? As such, will he now apologise to the Senate?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday, I indicated to the Senate that—and I will quote directly so that the senator who has asked this question might be clearer in his knowledge—‘We are about to announce the details of the review. We are about to announce the personnel associated with that review.’ It is quite clear that I did exactly that. This morning I announced the review. I announced the detail of the personnel of the review. I announced the terms of reference of the review. The review will be headed by Steve Bracks—a man of integrity and one of the most successful premiers and champions of fresh thinking that this country has seen in a very long while.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. We are not interested in a defence of former Premier Bracks. Yesterday the minister quite clearly said in this chamber, ‘One of the great joys of opposition is that you are often advised of things which are incorrect.’ Again, I ask the minister: why did you mislead the Senate yesterday?

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: I rise to point out that there was no point of order at all. It was an attempt to get an early supplementary question in.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have ruled on it.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Bracks was the first Premier to appoint a minister for innovation, in 2002. We are lucky to get someone with the national and international experience of Steve Bracks. We are lucky he has agreed to take time out from his important work in East Timor. This is a global industry. I am sorry if the senators opposite seem to be unaware of the significance of the automotive industry to the Australian people, to the Australian economy and to the Australian society. They seem to be concerned about one person’s job. I am concerned about the 60,000 Australians’ jobs that are on the line here. I am concerned that the opposition seem to have learnt so little about the significance of this industry. I am very concerned that Mr Bracks is being attacked in this way. Mr Bracks has worked tirelessly to attract foreign investment to Victoria. He is the sort of person that the opposition cannot stand, because he is the sort of person that can sort the wheat from the chaff.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order, relating to relevance to the question asked. Yesterday Senator Carr—in response to Senator Abetz, who put it to Senator Carr that Mr Bracks was to be appointed to head this inquiry—said that Senator Abetz was incorrect. Today Senator Carr is being asked a very serious question as to whether, in saying that, he was misleading the Senate. The question is not about Mr Bracks; the question is about whether Senator Carr misled the Senate yesterday, and I ask you to get him to answer the question.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: the opposition are looking to flout the standing orders. Neither Senator Ronaldson nor Senator Minchin has made a point of order. Senator Carr was directly asked by Senator Ronaldson a question about the review he announced today and the personnel. He is answering that question. His answer is completely relevant. I would ask you to call to order senators when they stand when they have no point of order—other than to try to repeat the question or the supplementary question they are about to ask.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: the question I asked Senator Carr was quite clear. He came into this house yesterday and denied that Premier Bracks was going to be appointed to this inquiry. He misled the Senate and he should apologise.

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ronaldson, I will not allow you to debate a point of order. When Senator Minchin raised the first point of order, he initially said that he was raising a point of order on relevance. Senator Carr, I draw your attention to the question and ask you to proceed.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was indicating that Steve Bracks is the sort of person that can sort the wheat from the chaff—unlike the opposition in this chamber. Quite contrary to the nonsense that was floated in this chamber yesterday by the shadow minister, Mr Bracks will be paid at the standard Remuneration Tribunal rate of no more than $572 a day. That is considerably less than the $2,750 a day that his predecessors were paid, such as Terence Cole, who ran the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry. This opposition know a lot about inflation, because they have caused this country a great deal of pain as a result of their policy. In terms of the inflationary effect, if we compare what the prices were seven years ago to what they are today, they would see a situation—

Alan Ferguson (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Carr, you are straying a long way from the original question. While I will allow a lot of latitude in answering the question, I ask you to remain relevant.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am just making the point that Terence Cole was paid $2,750 a day. In today’s dollars that is $3,280 a day. We are very fortunate that we are able to secure the services of Mr Bracks. We are very fortunate that we now have a government that does not work on the assumption that we can allow manufacturing to go onto automatic pilot. We are concerned to ensure the sustainability of this industry that 60,000 Australians rely upon. Our commitment is to ensure the sustainability of this industry. It is so unfortunate that the opposition has failed so dismally to understand these basic facts.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I am just wondering whether former Premier Bracks was sorting the wheat from the chaff when he opposed the minister’s preselection. Why did the minister overrule his department’s advice to appoint the respected Productivity Commission to undertake this inquiry? Was it in fact demanded by the ACTU as part of its election funding payback?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government indicated that it would establish a wide-ranging review. It was an election promise. It has been a longstanding commitment to ensure a thorough review, and it is a commitment that we have made on numerous occasions. There was no secret about our policy, and there was no secret about our commitment to this industry. The industry has welcomed the government’s response, which stands in such sharp contrast to the position of the opposition. They are essentially prepared to allow this industry to fade out of existence, because they failed to address the fundamental challenges that this society and this economy are dealing with. The Mitsubishi pullout just last week shows us why this review is needed. We did not start thinking about this last week—unlike the opposition. We have been considering these issues very carefully for a great deal of time.