It’s the question on the lips of campaigners, steelworkers, the Illawarra community and even some politicians as the fight to save the steel industry continues. 

When federal Industry Minister Christopher Pyne is found, Cunningham MP Sharon Bird and Member for Throsby Stephen Jones want to hand him a map. 

Why? A comment made in parliament on Monday suggested Mr Pyne doesn’t know where Port Kembla, or its steelworks, is located. 

The minister’s faux pas came during a response to a question without notice on manufacturing. 

Mr Pyne indicated the Turnbull government’s move to shift the economy beyond mining and agriculture to advanced manufacturing and high-tech industries “particularly impacts on areas such as Port Kembla in the Member for Gilmore’s electorate”.

The steelworks sit in the seat of Cunningham, near its border with the Throsby electorate. “This just demonstrates the level of disinterest the Liberals have in our local community and the challenges we are facing following the changes at BlueScope,” Ms Bird said. 

“Christopher Pyne needs to get a map.” 

The comments came after Illawarra steel campaigners met with Mr Pyne’s advisers, not the minister, last week. 

“When we walked in there, we seen him [Mr Pyne] in the room next door,” Australian Workers’ Union Port Kembla branch secretary Wayne Phillips told the Mercury.

“They gave us half an hour, we took probably 40 [or] 45 minutes, and the whole time he was just sitting in his office, right next door to us.

“I just thought it [was] a bit rude and, I suppose, typical of maybe some arrogance. I hope I’m wrong.” 

The Mercury asked the minister’s office a series of questions on Tuesday, including one about whether Mr Pyne was next door during the discussions. The question went unanswered. 

Asked about why Mr Pyne had been silent on the steel crisis, a spokesperson said: “a range of issues have been considered in relation to potential support for BlueScope Steel and the Illawarra region and discussions are ongoing”. 

“A number of measures are being explored to support the company and the region,” the spokesperson said. 

“The government already has in place a range of measures to support Australian industry, including the steel sector.”

Mr Phillips said Mr Pyne appeared to be playing “cat and mouse” with campaigners, but their fight – at all levels – was far from over. 

“We’ll hunt not only Pyne down, but we’ll hunt down the state government appropriate ministers and Premier [Mike Baird] until we get satisfaction,” he said. “It’s gone on long enough, our members want some security.” ​