Illawarra steel campaigners will need to talk with yet another politician following the announcement of Australia’s third industry minister in 19 months.
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Environment Minister Greg Hunt will take over the industry, science and innovation portfolio – previously held by Christopher Pyne – after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull revealed his post-election ministry reshuffle on Monday afternoon.
Steel advocates will now request an urgent meeting with Mr Hunt to ensure industry-saving federal government discussions, which have been ongoing for almost a year, don’t grind to a halt.
Campaigner, and South Coast Labour Council secretary, Arthur Rorris said the steel crisis should be “unfinished business”.
“We didn’t get very far, unfortunately, with Minister Pyne. Let’s see if we can get a bit further with Minister Hunt,” Mr Rorris said.
Mr Pyne came under fire in December after a comment made in Parliament suggested he didn’t know where Port Kembla, or its steelworks, is located.
The minister didn’t visit the Illawarra or the BlueScope steelworks during his 10-month stint as industry minister.
“We’re hoping that Minister Hunt will do so at his first available opportunity,” Mr Rorris said.
“Frankly, given the results of this federal election, one would hope that the change is not just in personnel but policy as well.”
Mr Hunt is the third MP to be named industry minister since late 2014.
Ian Macfarlane was at the helm of the portfolio between December 23, 2014 and September 21, last year.
During that time, Mr Macfarlane hinted a ‘‘very big proposal’’ would make a massive difference to the Illawarra and BlueScope Steel, but revealed nothing about it, during steel talks in Wollongong on September 7.
Mr Macfarlane was replaced by Mr Pyne, with the new minister holding a roundtable of steel stakeholders – in Sydney – during October.
Mr Pyne shifts into a new role as defence industry minister.
Mr Rorris, who is leading the steel industry charge, recently invited crossbench senators to discuss the international steel crisis and the reform of Australian government’s steel procurement policies.
“If the government thought that the previous Parliament was going to be a challenge with their neo-liberal policies, they ain't seen nothing yet,” he said.
“We’ve made no secret of the fact that we will capitalise as far as possible on the discontent with government policies that sell out Australian jobs.
“We make no secret of the fact that we will be fanning those fires of discontent about the current direction; we want a change and we’re hoping that the election result might provide an incentive and a bit of a motivator for the Turnbull government to change tack.”
The discussions with senators aren’t expected to take place until the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) officially declares the 2016 election.
Senators Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon and Lee Rhiannon have previously made their stance on steel publicly known and Mr Rorris said they remained committed to continuing the fight.
“They have made it clear to me … that their motivation to bring in a new procurement policy federally has increased, if anything,” he said.
“They’re not backing off and I think we might see some surprises in this parliament.”
Meanwhile, Illawarra-based Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells retains her position as Minister for International Development and the Pacific.
CHANGING INDUSTRY MINISTERS
- Ian Macfarlane: December 23, 2014 – September 21, 2015
- Christopher Pyne: September 21, 2015 – July 18, 2016
- Greg Hunt: July 18, 2016 –