Campaigners have extended an invitation to NSW Premier Mike Baird to visit the Illawarra and explain what he will do for the steel industry.
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Mr Baird is one of a number of politicians invited to speak at an Illawarra public meeting called, “The Future of Steel – Where Do Our Politicians Stand?”.
Steel campaigner and South Coast Labor Council secretary Arthur Rorris said the meeting was driven by the fact that a procurement bill pushing for the use of Australian steel in government infrastructure projects was in parliament.
“The campaign to use Australian-made steel in all government projects has just gotten stronger,” Mr Rorris said.
“We now have a bill before the parliament that could go to the lower house at any time the government wants to bring that debate on.
“We are saying to the premier ‘come and face the people that this will affect’.
“If you do not support this bill you owe it, particularly to the people of the Illawarra, to come and tell us what you think the alternative is.”
Mr Rorris said campaigners had been trying for more than a year to sit down with Mr Baird and discuss the steel issue.
Despite that, he said the invitation was transferable and open to any member of the Baird government.
“We are mindful of the fact the Premier of NSW has a lot of commitments and it is quite difficult to secure his time, even with a long lead-in,” Mr Rorris said.
“If the Premier of NSW does not see this as an important enough issue to face the people of the Illawarra personally as the Premier then surely there must be one member of his government who can articulate his position on the night.
“He has close to 100 MPs, there must be one person that he can trust to actually convey his government’s position in this for the public meeting.”
The public meeting takes place on October 10, 6.30pm, at the BlueScope gallery in the Wollongong Art Gallery.