Illawarra federal Labor MPs are behind a push for a Senate inquiry into the future of the Australian steel industry.
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The wide-ranging inquiry would focus on the sustainability of Australia’s “strategically vital steel industry” and its supply chain, Cunningham MP Sharon Bird and Member for Throsby Stephen Jones revealed late Wednesday afternoon.
A motion to refer those matters to an inquiry was co-sponsored by Labor Senator for Victoria Kim Carr, Australian Greens’ Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon and Independent senators Nick Xenophon (South Australia), John Madigan (Victoria), Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania) and Glenn Lazarus (Queensland).
In a joint media statement, Ms Bird and Mr Jones said they were “growing increasingly frustrated” at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s refusal to act on the steel crisis facing Australia and the communities that rely on the industry.
“The Senate inquiry will provide an opportunity to hear directly from the industry and supply chain about the issues faced manufacturing high quality steel in Australia,” the statement said.
“The findings of the inquiry will provide a basis of future policy development and will examine critical issues for the steel industry, such as standards, dumping and government procurement.
“The inquiry will also seek to fill the Abbott/Turnbull government’s policy black hole when it comes to steel manufacturing in Australia.
“The workers [at BlueScope’s Port Kembla steelworks] have shown real leadership and agreed to make their contribution, sacrificing jobs, wages and conditions but we are yet to see anything from the Turnbull Liberal government.”
The inquiry will ask for submissions, hold public hearings and call on witnesses from steel manufacturers, unions and the community.
The inquiry will report back in June, with the possibility of interim reports to be provided early next year.
Ms Bird and Mr Jones met with Illawarra steel campaigners in Canberra this week.
One of the campaigners, South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris, said: “We thank Labor, Greens and crossbench senators for their continued support of our steelworkers and our community”.
“If this passes tomorrow [Thursday] it will lead to a national inquiry into the steel industry and keep the pressure on the federal government to play its part to ensure it survives into the future,” Mr Rorris said.
Ms Bird and Mr Jones said the NSW government had delivered payroll tax concessions and announced fee-free training places for retrenched workers at the Port Kembla steelworks, but “now it is time for Malcolm Turnbull and [federal Industry Minister] Christopher Pyne to step up”.
A spokesman for Mr Pyne said the minister and the industry representative in the Senate, Senator Arthur Sinodinos, had met with steelworkers and campaigners.
“The government is acting on the issue, consulting with industry on anti-dumping including circumvention and Australian Industry Participation,” the spokesman said.