Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and on behalf of Senator Madigan, Senator Carr and Senator Xenophon, seek leave to amend the general business notice of motion No. 845.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) urgent action is needed to ensure that Australia does not lose its steelmaking capacity, in the wake of the global steel industry crisis, and

(ii) steel-producing nations are responding to the oversupply and dumping of sub cost steel with a range of strategies that include increasing public procurement, restructuring and emergency safeguards in the form of temporary targeted tariffs; and

(b) calls on the Abbott Government to:

(i) immediately refer matters related to dumped sub-cost steel into Australia to the Anti-Dumping Commission for a preliminary report within three weeks to include an assessment of the possible harm to local industry, and options for action including duties and World Trade Organization emergency safeguards,

(ii) ensure that the Anti-Dumping Commission is suitably resourced to pursue ongoing improvements to Australia's anti-dumping system and reduce harm to local industry resulting from dumped imports,

(iii) work with the steel industry, unions, businesses and communities to minimise the impact on local jobs and living standards, particularly at the Port Kembla site in the Illawarra, from the world-wide over-supply of steel by developing:

  (A) a constructive Steel Industry Plan, including comprehensive policies for improvements in Australian Industry Participation, and

  (B) public procurement frameworks that include whole of life cost methods for assessing and determining procurement contracts,

(iv) prioritise structural adjustment and jobactive assistance to the Illawarra to minimise the impact on local jobs and living standards,

(v) reinstate the Local Employment Coordinator to assist steelworkers losing their jobs to retrain and gain alternative employment, and

(vi) continue the work of the International Trade Remedies Forum to address the need for ongoing improvements to Australia's anti dumping system, and any outstanding matters from the previous Government's suite of reforms to streamline Australia's anti-dumping system.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

The minister for industry convened a meeting in Wollongong on 7 September 2015, which focused on strengthening the economic future of the Illawarra region. Discussions involved all layers of government, along with representatives from the steel industry, unions, tertiary institutions, the wider business community and local members of parliament, including Senator Fierravanti-Wells and Ann Sudmalis.

Safeguards provisions and the anti-dumping regime are two separate systems and should not be confused. The industry has access to both the anti-dumping regime if there are concerns about dumped imports. And it has the ability to initiate a safeguards investigation, which it has not done, if it believes that a very sudden and major influx of product has occurred and not in response to an ongoing market trend, which in this case reflects a changing steel market and global commodity prices.

The industry needs a clear plan developed with all affected stakeholders and not knee-jerk reactions. The government will not be supporting this motion. I do also note that a substantial amendment was circulated to this motion about 10 minutes before housekeeping, which I do not think is particularly good practice.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 845, as amended, be agreed to.