GM HOLDEN

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood) (15:12): My question is to the Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade. Was the minister wrong when he told the media last week in regard to the Holden funding announcement: 'The guarantees we've got are no forced redundancies...they've promised no forced redundancies'?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (15:13): Last week, what the Premier announced with the Prime Minister was one of the biggest leverage deals in the state's history. We put in $50 million, and we get—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: The State Bank? Yes, great; thank you. What we have done here is leverage $1 billion worth of private investment into the state's manufacturing arm and we still don't know whether members opposite support it. They still haven't said publicly whether they support the package. We don't know whether the Liberal Party supports $1 billion worth of private capital. Holden have a policy of—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Point of order: the minister is clearly debating. The question was: was he right or was he wrong? Not every question asked is about him.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, that's enough. You don't need to explain your point of order. Minister for Trade, back to the question.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order: since the other side like to take points of order, it is also out of order to interject and the interjections are horrendously loud. I can't hear the minister.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. Members on my left will be quiet.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: We will get you an ear horn soon so don't worry.

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, back to the substance of the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, Madam Speaker. The Liberal Party is the only party in the world who think $1 billion of private investment won't guarantee jobs. They actually think two new vehicles, two new platforms, in opposition to closure, won't guarantee jobs. Are they the only—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Another point of order. I presume you are talking about relevance.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Yes, 98. He continues debate. Please direct him to the substance of the answer to the question.

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, I ask you to return to the substance of the question.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, Madam Speaker. The idea that Holden will be manufacturing into the future into 2022, producing two brand new vehicles, obviously means that Holden are committing to staying in South Australia. It takes a fair amount of workforce to build those two vehicles. I believe that Holden are here to stay. This deal guarantees that. This investment guarantees manufacturing jobs into the future and the only people upset about that are those members opposite, and they won't tell us whether they support $1 billion worth of private investment into this state.