Australian Workers Union branch secretary Wayne Phillips says he never expected to single out Greens politicians for their efforts to save the Port Kembla steel mill.
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But on Tuesday, as NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge visited the Illawarra to push for support for his party’s Steel Industry Protection Bill, the union boss praised the party for “forward thinking and common sense” which had been “lacking in parliament at the moment”.
Mr Shoebridge’s visit, which included a tour of the steelworks, coincided with next week’s return of NSW parliament.
“The Bill provides for 100 per cent of the steel in NSW infrastructure projects to be sourced from Australian steel,” he said. “The NSW government has the biggest infrastructure budget of any government in the nation, and that’s why we say it’s essential to pass this bill. It can also be a model for every parliament of every government in the country.”
Explaining his support for steel, he said it would be vital in building rail and other energy projects for “a renewable future in Australia”.
“Surely that steel should come from mills that have the highest labour standards and environmental standards on the planet,” he said.
Mr Shoebridge said the Greens has been working with Labor and other minor parties in the Upper House to see if they could come to an agreement.
