House debates Questions without Notice

Steel Industry

Thursday, 17 September 2026 House of Representatives

Tom Venning

Tom Venning Grey, Liberal Party

2:30 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. Before the Prime Minister jets off to New York this weekend, why won't you visit Whyalla and face the 800-plus workers who have lost their jobs under Labor's 'Future Made Offshore'?

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister

2:31 pm

As the member is aware, I leave tomorrow and so I have—

It's a serious issue for the people of Whyalla. I'll pair up how many times I've been to Whyalla compared with the frontbench there. We'll add it up. I don't know if the member for Canning's been to Whyalla—or the Leader of the Opposition. He's probably been there to check that it was still there. Remember when they were in government? They said it would disappear off the map. We're working constructively with the Malinauskas government. We'll continue to do so. We'll continue to engage as well with the administrators, who are working through what is a very complex issue, largely because of a failure by the previous owners, GFG, to invest. That is just a fact. That is just a fact.