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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-27 Daily Xml
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GM HOLDEN

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:58): Why should the public trust Labor that the new Holden funding package will guarantee Holden's future when former premier Mike Rann promised three years ago that the $180 million in federal and state funding for the Holden Cruze would 'guarantee a future for the plant, a future for the workers, and also a future for the car industry'?

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order, Madam Speaker. The question started, 'Why should the public trust Labor'. It is pure argument; it invites debate on the question. The Premier may well answer it, but it simply invites debate if you put argument in the question.

Mrs REDMOND: I am happy to reword the question, if you like.

The SPEAKER: Yes; I would ask you to reword the question or I will not allow it.

Mrs REDMOND: On what basis does the Premier say that the new Holden funding package will guarantee Holden's future? Three years ago then premier Mike Rann promised that the $180 million in federal and state funding for the Holden Cruze would 'guarantee a future for the plant, a future for the workers, and also a future for the car industry'.

The SPEAKER: I am being very lenient. Premier, do you choose to answer that question?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:59): Yes, Madam Speaker. There is the small matter of the over $1 billion in investment that has been put in by Holden's; there is also the specific commitment for Holden's to remain open and producing cars, two next-generation cars, at Elizabeth until 2022. There seems to be some confusion here about the Cruze. If there was not the co-investment in relation to the Cruze we would not even be sitting here talking about the future of Holden's, they would already be gone. The Cruze is the single most important reason why Holden's actually continues to exist in South Australia. So, there is a rewriting of history here about that arrangement. But for that commitment, we would not be having a Holden's here. Cruze rescued Holden's here in South Australia. The government was central to that investment and that is why we are even having this debate here in South Australia at this time.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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