Instead, a Labor government will “maximise Australian steel in Australian projects”, Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten announced during a visit to BlueScope’s Springhill plant.

Mr Shorten was accompanied by Industry spokesman Kim Carr, Illawarra Labor MPs Sharon Bird and Stephen Jones and Labor’s candidate for Gilmore Fiona Phillips.

Mr Shorten said a set target – such as the 90 per cent figure from steel campaigners – wasn’t feasible.

“Setting a particular level [is difficult] when in fact some of the steel we use in some of our defence projects, for instance, are  simply not made in Australia,” Mr Shorten said.

“You’ve got to make sure that whatever you promise you can actually deliver.

“We’re going to ask our agencies, when they allocate contracts, to start recording what the Australian content is. You can’t improve something until you start measuring it.”

Among the other points in Labor’s plan – which will become law 100 days after the election if Mr Shorten wins – is to ensure Australian standards are applied to steel in federal infrastructure projects and to strengthen the anti-dumping legislation.

“Let me make this perfectly clear to anyone who thinks that they can come to Australia and run around our laws and dump foreign-manufactured steel in Australia, a Labor government will make sure that our anti-dumping laws are enforced in a fast and aggressive manner,” Mr Shorten said.

He pledged to “defend and promote” the Australian steel industry.

“A Labor government led by myself will do everything we can to make sure that we keep making steel,” Mr Shorten said.

“Australians have seen for too long in the last three years - the car industry gone, the jobs in the mining industry in freefall. We’ve even seen the terrible demise of Queensland Nickel. Enough’s enough, Australians want a government in Canberra who will fight for Australian steel.”