Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment) (14:00): The short answer to the question is, absolutely, no. This is a question from a minister who presided over a job loss in the manufacturing sector every 19 minutes that he was the minister, over that six-year period. Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order! Senator Abetz, you are entitled to be heard in silence. Senator ABETZ: Given that the former minister was willing to provide me with a quote, allow me to respond that 'international company executives were left wondering just what they had to do to get a consistent government policy commitment in Australia'. Do you know what he was referring to? His very own government. Senator Carr was reflecting on his very own government. So we can trade quotes across the chamber, and at the end of the day— Opposition senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order, on my left! Senator Abetz is entitled to be heard in silence. Senator ABETZ: But at the end of the day what we have is a tragic situation where many Australian workers have, regrettably, lost their jobs— Senator Wong: On your watch. Senator ABETZ: Senator Wong interjects saying that happened on our watch. So you are responsible for Mitsubishi and Ford? Well done! Can I say I never engaged in that immature activity when you were in government. Senator Kim Carr interjecting— Senator ABETZ: I did not at all. The PRESIDENT: Senator Carr, interjections are disorderly. Senator Abetz is entitled to be heard in silence. Senator ABETZ: What it shows is that Senator Carr will distort the truth for his tawdry political exercise today. Many workers face an uncertain time. We are working with them, with the unions and with the companies to seek to ensure that they do have a future as individuals. The circumstances are difficult but we will work with them to ensure the best possible outcome, in circumstances where Toyota said that no matter what we did they would leave—as Holden did, and as Ford and Mitsubishi did with a Labor government. (Time expired)