House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-28 Daily Xml

Contents

GM HOLDEN

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade. How did the minister get it wrong in two separate interviews on 22 March in relation to the Holden funding agreement and the issue of no forced redundancies? The minister said at a media conference on 22 March, 'What we've guaranteed here is a workforce that will be building two new platforms with no forced redundancies...' Then he said, later that day on radio, '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) (14:30): The difference is that Holden have a policy of no forced redundancies and they are investing $1 billion. So, if you listened to your own comments, you would realise the error. What I did—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Exactly. I said you would realise the error.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Exactly; that is why I did. I just said I did. I understand that members opposite are so vain they can never apologise about anything. When I get something wrong, I apologise. I 'fess up. If we look opposite and see who apologises over there, I have heard no apology from the member for Unley about introducing fake documents to the parliament.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order: the minister is debating the answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I made my points very clear on radio this morning. Holden have a policy of no forced redundancies at Elizabeth. The government has leveraged $1 billion worth of private investment into Holden's, guaranteeing two new platforms being built and production at Holden's until 2022. Only the Liberal Party would think that that is a bad thing.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Taylor.