you could be right. Maybe I misunderstood what he said according to this article

http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/04/car-industry-subsidies-in-perspective/

Holden has received $1.8 billion in industry assistance in the last 10 years. That works out at about $8.10 for every Australian man, woman and child, assuming a population of around 22 million.

Yes, I am fully aware of ERP, the effective rate of protection, which is a complex multiplier based upon the direct and indirect flow-through costs of tariffs and other forms of protection for a given industry sector.

However, as Kim Carr noted recently, the industry, cumulatively, received subsidies amounting to less than $18 per person over the last decade. So it cost you, the long-suffering Australian taxpayer, the princely sum of $1.80 per annum to prevent the collapse of plants like Elizabeth, Fishermans Bend, Altona, Geelong and Broadmeadows.

however the govt would get a lot of it back as the cars are sold here (stamp duty etc.)  and the workers were Australains living in Australia, sp they pay taxes and their money goes bavk into our economy unlike in the mining business where they employ overseas workers on 457 visas who send their money back home.

also, the  ining industry is much more heavily subsidized by us the taxpayers than the car industry ever was I think it's something to the tune of $18 billion over the past six years, but will research it more later