IT was a handshake with a steel grip.
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Port Kembla steelworker Sime Jovanovski took the hand of Ryan Park and shook it firmly.
Mr Park, State Labor’s Illawarra spokesman, had just announced his party was committed to introducing a steel assistance package, which would require the 90 per cent use of Australian-made steel in infrastructure projects.
Admittedly, the package is hinged on winning the next election in 2019.
Mr Jovanovski was in no doubt about what it meant to him and his colleagues at the steelworks.
“I haven’t seen any ... party come here to make this statement,” the 47-year-old said.
“This is about commitment. We’ve committed ourselves to the steel industry here and now that the Labor Party has come on board, it’s great news.
“We [steelworkers] all pay our taxes and we deserve to be represented a lot better than what the Liberal Party’s doing.
“They’ve shown zero interest to this region.
“It’s sad – how can you vote for somebody that’s not interested and doesn’t know where the place is?”
Truth be told – despite it’s status as one of the state’s biggest cities – can you remember when the Premier Mike Baird visited Wollongong?
The NSW Government response was emphatic, stating the Labor plan would increase costs and breach the terms of Australia’s trade agreements.
“While the policy may support Labor’s vested interests in the short term, it is not in the best interests of the people of NSW, and will not meet the challenges the Australian steel industry faces now and into the future,” the Minister for Finance, Services and Property Dominic Perrottet said.
Mr Park has called on the Baird Government to match their commitment.
“This is the most comprehensive announcement and response by a state government in relation to what we have at the moment – a steel crisis,” Mr Park said
“Ninety per cent is a very strong signal. It sends a strong signal to employees, it sends a strong signal to BlueScope ... that we are fair dinkum about making sure NSW government projects ... are also being used to make sure that we support jobs.”
The politics aside, there is a capacity here for governments, both State and Federal, to do more in support of the Australian steel industry.