Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. Can the minister respond to claims that the steel industry has been mugged, vandalised, shot and crippled by the $300 million Steel Transformation Plan?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Stephens, for that question; I know of your longstanding interest in the steel industry. What we have seen is overblown, wild rhetoric—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr, resume your seat. While there is debate across the chamber I will not ask the minister to proceed.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we have heard is wild and overblown rhetoric by Liberal senators on these questions. What we saw yesterday and today was that 19 Liberal senators had the opportunity to argue the case in favour of blue-collar workers, in favour of steelworkers—and what did they do? They turned their backs on blue-collar workers; they turned their backs on the steel industry. They had 19 opportunities, but what we saw was the fraudulence and hypocrisy of the position advanced by the Liberal Party, to the point where the Liberal Party has turned its back on a $300 million support package for high-quality sustainable jobs in the steel industry.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When there is silence we will proceed.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. In recent times we have heard comments about dumping, we have heard comments about free trade agreements, we have heard comments about the IMF. What we have seen is the Liberal Party trying, in a very cynical manner, to run a very populist line on economic policy. We know that they are a party of nostalgia, a party that looks back to the old days. However, I would never, ever have thought they would adopt the policies of Georges Marchais, who was the French Communist Party leader in 1974—but that is exactly the position they are adopting. They are opposed to international engagement. They are opposed to assisting working people. They are opposed to actually doing anything to sustain jobs in this country. What they want to do is claim a commitment to working people, but they leave that commitment—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr, just resume your seat. When there is silence I will ask the minister to proceed.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It has been put to me that I misrepresented the Communist Party of France. I think what we have got is a situation where the commitment to working people is left on the hook, along with the fluoro vest, when you walk out the door and out of camera shot. The commitments of the Liberal Party, as we all know, are complete frauds. (Time expired)

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, how does the government respond to concerns that the Steel Transformation Plan is of no assistance?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am looking forward to the Liberal Party going down to the Illawarra and telling steelworkers that $300 million for the steel industry is of no assistance. I am looking forward to them trying to pretend, as Mr Abbott does on a regular basis, that they know how to use a screwdriver, yet cannot do anything to actually help workers in the manufacturing industry. They say they are going to repeal these measures. I am looking forward to them saying how they are going to withdraw over $20 billion of assistance from industries across this country.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells interjecting—

I am going to look forward to them saying that they do not want to see the 43 per cent increase in support for science and research that this government is undertaking.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Carr, resume your seat. There is a little bit of excitement in the chamber still.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From the fishwives!

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that Senator Conroy withdraw that offensive remark.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Conroy, withdraw that.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr President.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When there is silence the minister can proceed.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am looking forward to the Liberal Party saying that they do not support the 'Buy Australia' campaign. I am looking forward to them saying they do not support our steel industry advocates or the industrial capability networks or the Supplier Access to Major Projects scheme. These are all the measures that this government is undertaking— (Time expired)

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister respond to claims that science has already done all it can do for the steel industry?

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have heard those opposite claim there is nothing further that can be done with regard to science and innovation in the steel industry. It is a classic case where ignorance cannot be enlightened. We know, for instance, that CSIRO have been working with BlueScope and OneSteel on a low-carbon breakthrough and they have been doing so for the last five years. CSIRO's integrated steelmaking process is one of the few known technologies which can deliver a substantial cut in carbon emissions at minimum cost to smelters. This is a proposition we are now likely to see put into commercial operation in a very short period of time.

The estimated value of this knowledge over the next 20 years is some $42 billion. That is assuming just a 10 per cent market penetration. This is not just some incredible dream. These are practical measures that science can deliver to industry. And industry working in collaboration with our scientists is able to advance and produce the high-skilled— (Time expired)