THE ANNOUNCEMENT of Malcolm Turnbull’s new ministry again puts the issue of steel-making in this country on the backburner.
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Most central to the issue is yet another new industry minister – the third such minister since December, 2014.
While steel-making continues to be at a critical juncture, the Federal Government has not done anywhere near enough.
Steel advocates had worked tirelessly to give previous minister Christopher Pyne a full understanding of the challenges faced by the industry and steel workers. Yet, despite some positive noises at stages, it failed to translate into any real direct action.
The biggest indictment in Mr Pyne’s time as industry minister was he never once found it pressing or important enough to visit the Port Kembla steelworks.
Now the campaign’s attention will move to the new minister Greg Hunt, while Mr Pyne takes on his new portfolio of defence industry.
Hopefully those in the defence industry don’t have to mount a search and rescue mission for Mr Pyne in his new role as the Illawarra Mercury did with it’s now fabled, Where’s Wally-themed “Where’s Pyney” front page of last year.
Steel campaigner and South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris was indeed correct in stating the steel crisis was “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.
We, as a region, must continue to fight for a fairer deal for Australian steel.
RED HOT AND READY FOR RIO
It’s always a good sign leading into one of the biggest competitions of your career as an athlete and you are recording red-hot performances.
Illawarra’s own track stars Ryan Gregson and Madeline Hills are raring and ready to go for Rio.
The Australian record holder for 1500 m, Gregson recorded his second fastest time of his career against a high calibre career in a lead-up event in Monaco.
The Wollongong local stands a strong chance of going even better than he did in the London 2012 Olympics where he made the semi-finals of the 1500 m event.
Hills, of Shellharbour, also ran a PB over 1500 m in a lead-up event in Belgium and that too bodes well for her Olympic dream.
