Toyota and Treasurer Joe Hockey clash over carmaker’s closure in 2017

TREASURER Joe Hockey has stood by stood by his claims during Question Time about Toyota’s closure, as Labor failed to censure the PM.

TOYOTA has hit back at claims workers’ conditions and a fight with unions were to blame for the company choosing to cease production in Australia in 2017.

Treasurer Joe Hockey said he was told by management in December last year the carmaker could continue if workers agreed to a new set of conditions.

The Treasurer stood by his claims during Question Time, also arguing Toyota’s statement was correct as well.

“Toyota did not blame the unions because at that time Toyota still wanted to stay in Australia,” he told Parliament.

He said he was told last December by Toyota Australia president Max Yasuda they needed to renegotiate a new agreement with workers.

Mr Hockey even quoted himself from Hansard from December 10th, joking he was “pretty good on that day”.

“The best thing the Labor party can do is put aside the politics and ring up its mates of the AMWU and tell them to accept the deal being offered by Toyota which will give them job security,” he recounted.

“Get your facts right Labor and maybe you’ll understand that they tried to stay in Australia,” Mr Hockey said.

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen asked his counterpart whether he or anyone on his behalf provided details to the Financial Review, before it first reported the story.

Mr Hockey said if he disclosed conversations with the media he’d have to do the same with members of the Opposition too.

News_Rich_Media: Treasurer Joe Hockey stands by his claims in Question Time that Toyota had said they could have continued in Australia if workers' conditions were changed.

“If I broke the seal and start revealing everything that is said to me or that I say to the media, then I’ll have to do it for the Labor party frontbench and that could be pretty embarrassing,” he joked.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten tried to move a motion censuring the Prime Minister, before the government successfully gagged him.

Earlier today, Mr Hockey said: “The fact is they were very concerned about the conditions that existed at Toyota in Australia.”

But the company denies that is the case.

In a statement rebuffing Mr Hockey, it claims to have never “blamed the union”, publicly or in private stakeholder discussions.

“As stated at the time of the announcement, there is no single reason that led to this decision,” it said.

“The market and economic factors contributing to the decision include the unfavourable Australian dollar that makes exports unviable, high costs of manufacturing and low economies of scale for our vehicle production and local supplier base.”

Mr Hockey said the AMWU’s intervention prevented the company from working with its employees to renegotiate a workplace agreement.

“We all have to do the heavy lifting here, and the militancy of some of the union representatives — not all of them, but some of them — needs to be addressed by unions themselves,” he said.

Bill Shorten has labelled Mr Hockey’s comments “cruel and heartless”.

“This is the most difficult time for these workers — they don’t need Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey kicking them in the guts while they’re down,” the Opposition Leader said.

“I’d like to see a government that actually fights for people’s jobs, rather than insult them.”