Question Time

GM HOLDEN

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:03): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier stand by his previous assertions that no serious person thinks the carbon tax affects car manufacturing jobs, given Mike Devereux's comments this morning that the carbon tax affects car manufacturing jobs here in South Australia?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:04): I thank the honourable member for his question. As usual, he misrepresents the words that Mr Devereux in fact used.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: He in fact does. Let's just remember, while we are in the present debate about Holden's, that we have at the moment Holden's executives telling the South Australian government and the commonwealth government that they cannot make a decision to recommit to South Australia until they know what the policies of both major parties are, going into the federal election. They know that the Coalition is choosing to take $500 million out of the Automotive Transition Scheme for investment in the automotive sector in this country. They also know that $1.5—

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Mr Speaker, on the relevance of the Premier's answer.

The SPEAKER: The question was: 'Does the Premier stand by'—

Mrs REDMOND: —his statement about the carbon tax—nothing to do with the federal Coalition's policy on car manufacturing or anything else.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the Premier has to say.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Apart from the question containing a premise which is false, it also needs to be understood in the context of the assistance that is going to the car manufacturing industry, or not going to the car manufacturing industry, and the decisions that are in front of Holden's as they make their investment—about $1 billion worth of new investment—in Adelaide, as they seek to build two new models between 2016 and 2022.

What we know is that the federal Coalition is removing $500 million. We also know that $1.5 billion, which is the balance of the funds that are available for automotive assistance, will be sent to the Productivity Commission by an incoming federal Coalition government. So, here we have it: $2 billion in total commonwealth assistance which is in jeopardy. Let's just take the figures the opposition used yesterday of $40 million, the $40 million they say the carbon tax is costing Holden's—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No; I'm using your material—the $40 million that you said yesterday as being—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Yes, the member for MacKillop?

Mr WILLIAMS: I am still struggling with the relevance, sir, of the answer to the question. I have noted that you have been listening—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I'm sorry, I'm having difficulty hearing your point of order because of the interjections of the Leader of the Opposition. Can you make the point of order again? It is one of relevance, is it?

Mr WILLIAMS: The point of order, sir, is one of relevance. The question was clearly about the carbon tax and the Premier's statement that it had no material impact on car manufacturing in South Australia.

The SPEAKER: And your point is that the federal Coalition's policy on that matter is of no relevance to that question?

Mr WILLIAMS: My point is that the Premier is not addressing his answer to the question; that's my point. I am wondering, sir, what the point of our coming to question time is if the government doesn't address the—

The SPEAKER: Yes, thank you for that impromptu speech.

Members interjecting:

Mr Marshall: We're waiting for a ruling. You've already told him what to say.

The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will apologise and withdraw that remark.

Mr Marshall: Yes, I will withdraw that remark.

The SPEAKER: I would prefer you to stand to do that.

Mr MARSHALL: I am happy to withdraw that remark.

The SPEAKER: I haven't even seen the Premier today, let alone been in touch with him. Clearly, the federal Coalition's policy on the carbon tax is not something for which the Premier is responsible to the house.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Thank you, sir. My remarks were actually directed at the carbon tax that the opposition said is worth $40 million; that was the point of order that was taken. And about that matter, the $40 million that they say Holden's has to pay as a result of the carbon tax—

Mr Marshall: The industry.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Oh, the industry. So, Holden's is paying less than $40 million. Have it your way: the impost on Holden's is less than the $40 million you say is an impost on the industry as a consequence of the carbon tax. So, let's use your figures, whatever ones you choose to have—$40 million or some lower number.

What Mr Devereux in fact said was, in comparison with the $2 billion which is at risk, 'I don't think that the quantum of money that we're talking about, they're very different quantums of money.' What Mr Devereux is saying is that the carbon tax is a minor consideration in this whole equation. The more significant consideration in this whole equation is the level of commonwealth assistance. If you want the true test of that: if you abolish the carbon tax and you did not fix up the subsidy, Holden's would still close.