Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

When our resources sector did develop over those 50 years, it also spurred the creation and establishment of related manufacturing industries, in steel-making and in aluminium smelting. We have all the resources and minerals to do these things. That is why it is so important to continue to have a strong resources sector, to help those value-adding opportunities and the thousands of Australians who work in those industries as well.

I very much welcome the fact that Adani, the company behind the Carmichael coalmine in Central Queensland, have chosen to use Australian steel in their project and have chosen to help sustain the more than 2,000 South Australians who are employed at the Whyalla steelworks. This is how our resources sector spreads its opportunities right around our nation: a coalmine in Central Queensland can help sustain thousands of jobs in South Australia in our steel-making industry. I want to see Australia continue to make steel and continue to have a strong steel-making sector.