HOLDEN COINVESTMENT

Mr MARSHALL (Norwood—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier outline to the house why he didn't get around to signing the deal with Holden which would have guaranteed the production of two new models through to 2022?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:20): We are not going to permit those opposite seeking to shift the blame for the closure of Holden's from their decision to back in behind a $500 million cut to automotive assistance for this industry in this country. We are not going to allow them to shift the responsibility for not standing up and calling for the federal government to respond immediately to the proposition that has been put on the table by Holden's, which was accepted by the previous federal government and now is the subject of a lengthy delay by the current federal government.

Try as he may, he is going to take the responsibility. Should this car company make the decision to close, he will bear the responsibility of this and his party will bear the responsibility of this from this day forward. Let's be absolutely clear what's at stake here. If you had any shred of interest in the citizens of this state, you would raise your voice—you would produce your voice.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS: Point of order: I ask you to draw the Premier back to the substance of the question, which was why the Premier didn't sign the agreement with Holden when he had the opportunity.

The SPEAKER: I accept the point of order, and I call the Premier to order for ostensibly accusing me of a whole range of things.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Sir, I make it clear that my remarks were directed at those opposite. Can I say this: we have, in good faith, entered into negotiations with Holden and we have, indeed, reached an agreement. It is Holden's that have decided, because of the change in international circumstances, to approach the previous federal government.

The federal government acknowledged that and they sought to augment the proposition they put on the table to allow Holden's to stay in this nation. They weren't asking an additional contribution of the South Australian government, and that was the status quo prior to the federal election. Holden's then decided to await the outcome of the federal election because there was so much conjecture about change in policy, in particular the $500 million that was being pulled out of automotive assistance by the then opposition, now the present federal government.

I have decided, in the weeks that have passed since the federal election, to give the federal government an appropriate amount of room to allow them to get the briefings they needed to inform themselves so that they could change their position. This is what I warned the South Australian community about before the election. I said that, unless the federal government changed its position, Holden's would close.

I have given, I think quite fairly and generously, plenty of opportunity to the federal Minister for Industry—who, I think, does want to have a secure future for Holden's—to win that argument within the federal Coalition. His arm would be strengthened if we could hear one audible sound out of the Leader of the Opposition in favour of actually supporting Holden's, stepping away from the $500 million cuts and matching the contribution that the previous federal government was prepared to make to secure a future for Holden's.

It would also assist him and me if he were prepared to say that it is simply unacceptable, with the time line that's been laid out by the federal government, to wait six months before they make a decision. We don't have six months, in my assessment.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I think that every day we wait increases the risk of Holden's closing. This is too big a risk to take. They should get on with it, reach the agreement with Holden's and secure a long-term future for this most important manufacturing business.

The SPEAKER: Before we go to the supplementaries, I warn the member for Hammond for the first time, I call the members for Flinders and Chaffey to order and I warn the member for Morialta for the second and final time. Leader.