Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer to the minister's answers yesterday in which he dismissed the need to provide assistance for redundant Holden workers and their families. What assistance will the government provide to the 2,900 Holden workers who will lose their jobs when the company ceases manufacturing operations in Australia?

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

I did no such thing and I categorically rule out that false assertion made by Senator Farrell. Indeed, I specifically referred to Job Services Australia being made available and the government considering working together with stakeholders to ensure—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

So I categorically reject this attempt by Senator Farrell and the Labor Party to play this very dirty game of misleading this place in circumstances where they either know and are doing it deliberately or are unwittingly doing so. Either way it is a disgrace!

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Those 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

At the time I also indicated that the best form of support for any worker was a good, sound economy. That is what the motion that we regrettably just defeated was all about—putting in place the necessary policies to be able to reboot the economy and ensure that we can create jobs. I repeat: I completely and categorically reject the assertion made by Senator Farrell.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. What assistance will the government provide to the companies that supply components to Holden? What assistance will the employees of these companies receive?

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

As a former shadow industry minister, I am fully aware that potentially there will be greater job losses in the component sector of the automotive area than just—and I do not say this lightly—at Holden. There will be, chances are, even more job losses and those job losses will be in the small and medium enterprises. We are very conscious of that and that is why the Prime Minister and the government, with Mr Macfarlane, will be working through a strategy to ensure that we get—

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

You didn't have one! Before you launched an attack on them you didn't have a strategy?

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

Order! If you wish to debate it, the time is after question time.

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

Regrettably, many thousands of Australians will lose their jobs as a result of a board in Detroit making decisions. (Time expired)

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. What assistance will the government provide to Holden dealers around the country that are affected by the company's decision to scale down its operations in Australia? What assistance will the employees of these companies receive?

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

Once again, as I said yesterday—and I remind the honourable senator of this: if you want to get a plan in place, you go about it in a methodical, purposeful, considered manner. We have seen the debacle of pink batts, we have seen the debacle of the Building the Education Revolution—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Order! Senator Abetz is entitled to be heard in silence. When there is silence we will proceed.

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

A board decision was made in Detroit—in relation to not only Australian manufacturing but worldwide manufacturing, where they have pulled out of other countries as well. Believe it or not, I do not think that was a result of media speculation in Australia. Having said that, Holden have done right thing by giving the nation notice that they will cease manufacturing in Australia by 2017. As a result, there is time to get a strategy in place to ensure that displaced workers are properly looked after, and that is our intention. (Time expired)