House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Question Time GM Holden GM HOLDEN Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Norwood Leader of the Opposition 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 House of Assembly Cheltenham Premier Minister for State Development Minister for the Public Sector Minister for the Arts GM HOLDEN 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 House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Mr Speaker, on the relevance of the Premier's answer. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The question was: 'Does the Premier stand by'— Mrs REDMOND House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully to what the Premier has to say. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly Mr WILLIAMS: On a point of order, Mr Speaker. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Yes, the member for MacKillop? Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: And your point is that the federal Coalition's policy on that matter is of no relevance to that question? Mr WILLIAMS House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Yes, thank you for that impromptu speech. Members interjecting: Mr Marshall House of Assembly Mr Marshall: We're waiting for a ruling. You've already told him what to say. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will apologise and withdraw that remark. Mr Marshall House of Assembly Mr Marshall: Yes, I will withdraw that remark. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: I would prefer you to stand to do that. Mr MARSHALL House of Assembly Mr MARSHALL: I am happy to withdraw that remark. The Speaker House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly 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 House of Assembly Mr Marshall: The industry. The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL House of Assembly 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.