A meeting between a Unanderra company and Defence representatives to discuss supplying steel for new navy ships has been cancelled.
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The meeting, between Illawarra high-strength steelmaker Bisalloy and Kim Gillis, deputy secretary of the Defence Department’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), was due to take place on Thursday.
It was cancelled earlier this week, however Bisalloy CEO Greg Albert said a future meeting was still on the cards.
“We were not given a reason [for the cancellation] only that the date this week was not suitable and another time would be scheduled ASAP,” Mr Albert said.
We have no reason to believe we will not be given an opportunity to tender on these projects.
- Bisalloy CEO Greg Albert
A new meeting is expected to occur in the next two or three weeks, he said.
He said the cancellation didn't flag a lack of interest on CSAG’s part.
In fact, he said Bisalloy was meeting next week with French consortium DCNS, who was chosen to build 12 submarines for Australia.
“We have no reason to believe we will not be given an opportunity to tender on these projects,” Mr Albert said.
Meanwhile, Throsby MP Stephen Jones has told federal parliament that if Australian steel is good enough for other countries to use in defence projects, then it should be good enough for Australia.
“What an absurd situation we are going to have under this Government, where defence industries in other countries are using our steel because it is a preferred product, but these guys over here say, ‘Maybe we will and maybe we won't’,” Mr Jones said.
“I would invite the Minister to visit BlueScope Steel and Bisalloy where we made the same steel previously and where our steel is a preferred supplier for defence industries overseas.”
Mr Jones also said China’s moves to ramp up steelmaking showed Australia needed to take action.
“If the biggest supplier in the market is not responding to obvious market signals then Australia must act to protect its industry from businesses that do not play by the normal rules,” Mr Jones said.