Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today the board of BlueScope meets to consider a recommendation from CEO, Paul O'Malley. If that recommendation is accepted, it will ensure that steel continues to be made in my electorate at Port Kembla, the biggest steel producer in Australia. Over the last two months, the unions and management of BlueScope have worked hard to secure the savings which will ensure the productivity and the future viability of BlueScope. I know that I speak on behalf of all MPs, particularly all Labor MPs—in fact, all parliamentarians—when I say: quite clearly, the entire parliament is calling on the board and the chairman of BlueScope to do the right thing. We can continue to make steel in this country, we can continue to be a steel manufacturing nation, but we need the backing of the board.

Overnight we saw the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom do the right thing by his steelmaking plants who are facing a similar situation. He put in place a four-point plan which included tough procurement rules, cracking down on unfair dumping and unfair competition and putting in place tax incentives. We have had over a month with the new minister in place and has had the opportunity to respond on behalf of myself and the member for Cunningham to do the right thing. There is an important meeting in Sydney on Monday. We are expecting the government to do the right thing and that includes the New South Wales government and the federal government.