Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:28): As I have just said in answer to the Leader of the Opposition's previous question, I met with the head of Toyota Australia in December last year personally to reassure him that, as far as this government was concerned, we wanted Toyota to continue manufacturing in Australia. We wanted to assure Toyota that assistance would be available on much the same basis in the future that it had been made available in the past. I understand that the opposition wishes to sheet this home entirely to the government even though this plainly is something that has been taking place over quite some years now. I know that mere statistics are not of much consolation to people who are facing the closure of their business. But it is a fact that since 2007 motor production in this country has declined by a third. It is a fact that since 2007 motor employment has declined by a quarter. We all deeply regret the devastating announcement that Toyota made yesterday. We all deeply lament this. But our challenge as a government, our challenge as a parliament, is not to preserve every single business indefinitely. Our challenge is to create the conditions under which people, if necessary, can transition from good jobs to even better jobs. And I say to members opposite, whose sincerity I do not doubt: is it going to be easier to get a good job with a carbon tax or without a carbon tax? Is it going to be easier to get a good job with a mining tax or without a mining tax? Is it going to be easier to get a good job with businesses at times being strangled by green tape or without that? Is it going to be easier to get a good job with the Australian Building and Construction Commission restored or without it? So these are the questions before this parliament, and I think that the honest workers of this country know who their real friends are.