Sophie Mirabella (Indi, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to her statement on 10 July that the government's so-called Steel Transformation Plan will assist Australia's steel sector to transform into an increasingly efficient and sustainable industry in a low-carbon economy. I also refer her to OneSteel's announcement today that its entire Whyalla operations could be closed within just months of the introduction of the carbon tax. Rather than making the steel industry uncompetitive, wouldn't it be smarter to help the steel industry and protect Australian jobs by simply scrapping the world's biggest carbon tax?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the member for Indi I say: the campaign of misrepresentation continues. What the member for Indi should know is that our steelmaking industry has been under intense pressure. Labor members in this parliament know that because we are deeply concerned about Australian manufacturing and steel making. It has been under intense pressure because of the transformation in our economy that is arising from the Asian century.

It has been under pressure because of the high demand for the minerals that we sell, because our economy emerged strongly from the global financial crisis and because this government, working with the people of Australia—with employers and with unions—ensured that we had Australian jobs. Because of the commodities prices we are seeing, the growth in the resources sector and Australia's status as a safe place, we are seeing strong dollar prices. Those strong dollar prices put pressure on industries like steelmaking. That changes the equation for people who are going to buy that steel from overseas and it changes the equation in relation to import replacements. The attitude of the government in relation to steelmaking has therefore been to work in partnership with them, and that is why we designed the Steel Transformation Plan.

It is very interesting indeed that the member who came to the dispatch box and feigned concerned for working people in Whyalla voted against a $300 million package to help steelworkers. We always knew this concern was feigned—when the Leader of the Opposition went through manufacturing establishments and went to steelmaking establishments—because the Liberal Party never once in their entire life have ever stood by working people in manufacturing. This Liberal opposition are showing their contempt for working people in manufacturing through their half-a-billion-dollar cut to the assistance that supports the car industry.

We have stood shoulder to shoulder with manufacturing workers, including workers in the steel industry. That is why we designed a $300 million plan. That is why we came into this parliament and voted for it. That is why we will always do what we need to do to support Australian jobs, despite the relentless negativity of the opposition. They did not support jobs during the global financial crisis, they do not support manufacturing today and they want to cut half a billion dollars out of assistance to the car industry. Every member on that side of the House is on record showing their contempt for steelworkers by coming into this parliament and voting against their jobs.