Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I take the opportunity to speak in the consideration in detail stage of the clean energy bills, having already spoken in the second reading debate, to do two things that have developed since I last spoke. The first is to address the disgraceful vote today on the Steel Transformation Plan Bill 2011, which those opposite, who claim to be concerned for the welfare of people in the steel industry, failed to support and which would provide very important, strategic and needed support to the steel industry. In particular, I could not believe my colleague Joanna Gash, the member for Gilmore, sat on the other side of the House and voted against the Steel Industry Transformation Plan, and no doubt Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who has an office in my area, will also vote against that bill.

The reality is that the steel industry at this time needs those opposite to support this bill. I point out to those opposite that BlueScope as a company have made it quite clear that the carbon tax is not the issue that they are confronting. They are confronting the international circumstances and the level of the Australian dollar. The Leader of the Opposition took the opportunity to come to the Illawarra, go to the steelworks and make a big song and dance about the carbon price. I very much doubt that he will be back to explain to them why he led his party in voting against the bill that was before the House today. In fact, the bill was put separately and those opposite could have supported it if they had wanted to but still chose not to do so.

In my region we are always at the forefront of innovating our industries for the future. The steel industry is an important part of the story of developing the new technologies that will be needed for a cleaner energy future. We understand that and we are working to support the steel industry. We also understand that other manufacturers—for example, David Brown Gears in my area have recently got contracts to do gear work for wind farms—see the opportunities that will develop from a greener energy future. It is important for the long-term future of this country that we begin to take up the opportunities that are on offer and position ourselves for the jobs in a cleaner energy future. Those opposite got this not so long ago. In every one of their contributions to this debate they want to ignore the fact that until the change of leadership on their side they backed taking action on climate change—

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