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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-09-22 Daily Xml
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Automotive Transformation Scheme

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:18): My question is to the Minister for Automotive Transformation and the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation: can the minister tell the council how the federal government's reshuffle and change of leadership will impact the minister's portfolios of automotive transformation and manufacturing and innovation?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:19): I thank the member for his very important question and his interest in these areas. The reshuffle recently demonstrates how loudly South Australia's voice booms in the corridors of power in Canberra.

We have continued to prosecute cases important to the economic future of South Australia. We have made our views and opinions very well known and I think our message has been heard loud and clear. I would like to welcome the elevation of Christopher Pyne to the portfolios of industry, innovation and science and congratulate him on his appointment.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I note some interjections, particularly from the Hon. Rob Lucas, but I welcome the elevation. These policy areas that minister Pyne now has responsibility for will significantly influence South Australia's economic future. So, I welcome—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has the floor.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I welcome seeing a South Australian in charge, and I know that he will act in the best interests of South Australia for its workers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, manufacturers and component suppliers. Indeed, as the Hon. Michelle Lensink points out, I hope he keeps his title as South Australia's self-styled 'Mr Fixer' because there are many important policy areas that require close collaboration between the state and the commonwealth government.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: We have a lot to fix after 13 years of you lot there.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I note the Hon. David Ridgway continues to interject and, frankly, I think the Hon. David Ridgway would only know all too well how effective Christopher Pyne can be; he has cleaned up the conservative faction in this state good and proper, and I hope he brings the same vigour to his portfolio areas.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: The South Australian government has already indicated to minister Pyne, and I should say I have written to him about it, that one of his priorities should be to work with us to open up the federal government's Automotive Transformation Scheme. There is $900 million sitting in the federal budget that could be expended to enable existing component manufacturing companies (and manufacturing companies, generally) to use the funds to diversify and grow.

Given the collision of the innovation and industry parts of his portfolio responsibilities, the federal government may also consider making the Automotive Transformation Scheme funding available to companies to innovate or to establish start-up ventures in South Australia. We would not ask this federal government to do anything the state government is not willing to do. We are already altering our programs as it becomes clear they need to change to meet the changing needs of industry and workers as the closure of Holden draws closer.

We have changed the Automotive Workers in Transition Program to enable more workers to access it, from needing to be employed in automotive supply chain companies with a minimum automotive revenue exposure of 40 per cent now down to 20 per cent. We have also extended the 12-month support period to a 24-month support period, and we are open to making more changes as are necessary.

There is no doubt that the things we make and the way we make them will be very different in the future from how it has been in the past. This is why I am very pleased to hear positive comments from the new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, about needing to innovate and do things differently. I think that at this stage, the federal government is now very much on the same page as the South Australian government on these things, and I'm sure that as a fellow South Australian minister Pyne will be working to ensure that South Australia gets our fair share including, for example, that the 12 new subs are built here.

I am looking forward to working with minister Pyne in the very near future and making sure, as Holden winds down, particularly, that manufacturing has a bright future here in South Australia and that our innovators and entrepreneurs have the backing to be as successful as possible. I know that there is great capacity for our state and federal governments to work together to make the best decisions for South Australians, and now is the time to do it. I might also point out that I was very pleased to see the Hon. Nigel Scullion, the Northern Territory senator, retain Indigenous Affairs; he is someone with whom I have worked very closely and will continue to work closely with.

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