Senator IAN MACDONALD (1:04 PM) —In this committee stage of the bill, I want to ask a couple of questions of the minister at the table, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy, who is a former official of the Transport Workers Union.

Senator Conroy —And proud of it!

Senator IAN MACDONALD —Good on you, Senator Conroy. You will have the answer to my question then, as someone who is an expert. What number of Australian manufacturing workers will lose their jobs, as a result of the reduction in sales of Australian cars in favour of imported cars, if the Greens amendment gets up? As I understand it, the Greens amendment will favour the flash, imported luxury and other vehicles, none of which are manufactured in Australia. We know from Senator Carr that there is great concern about manufacturing workers’ jobs, particularly in the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, which has come under some pressure in recent times. Ford have laid off a great number of workers, Mitsubishi had to close their Adelaide plant and General Motors are struggling. The numbers of workers being thrown out of jobs are difficult at the moment. I ask Senator Conroy, as a former Transport Workers Union official: what work has the government done, what modelling has been done to identify the numbers of manufacturing workers, working families, that will be without a breadwinner as a result? Senator Conroy, you laugh. On this side of the chamber, we have a concern for working families who are looking at losing their jobs in the motor manufacturing industry. I thought that would be something that you in particular would treat very seriously.

I do not know; you may have done the work. That is the purpose of my question. What work has the government done? What modelling has been done that will indicate how the tax proposed by the Greens will favour those imported vehicles—non-Australian manufactured vehicles—and, accordingly, be to the detriment of the Australian manufacturing industry? The question is, Minister: what modelling has been done; what assessment has been done; what numbers do you expect Australian manufactured vehicles to fall by as a result of this incentive for imported vehicles; and what will that do to the industry? That is one question.

There is another question, while you are at it, Minister. Senator Fielding’s motion, which I understand the government have assisted with, provides for one vehicle per year for a primary production family. On family farms in western and northern Queensland, in Northern Australia, in the area where I come from, there is always more than one four-wheel drive vehicle. On a recent trip out west I visited a property which had a fleet of Toyota four-wheel drives with bullbars, spotlights and all the other safety features.

Senator Abetz —Winches.

Senator IAN MACDONALD —Indeed. Thank you, Senator Abetz. There was a fleet of them. Is this amendment going to deal with only one of those 12 vehicles or all of the 12 vehicles? If it is only one, why is that? It is a bit like the uranium policy: ‘Three mines, good uranium; fourth mine, bad uranium!’ That seems to be what this might be. One Toyota vehicle is okay but not 12. You need 12 because they are big properties and they are a long way away. They do not buy them just for the fun of buying them, I can assure you, and they are not cheap. They are there as essential vehicles. So what happens to the other 11? They get the luxury car tax added for work vehicles in that particular area. I would be very interested to hear the answer to those two questions, particularly the second one on why one vehicle should be exempt but others should not.

Senator Conroy, take my word for it. I know you are not a regular visitor out in the country, but most farms would have at least two four-wheel drive vehicles and in some cases there are many of them. They are not just used for work on the farm; they are used for taking the kids to school, picking up provisions, getting fuel and bringing the mechanic out. The vet has to get out. There would be very few vets in the more remote parts of Australia that would only have one vehicle, but then the vet is not going to get it anyhow. I am just curious about that. I find that the amendments are moved with all the best intentions but they just do not seem to make sense to me. I am hoping the minister might be able to help me.