State Prosperity Project

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:49): Thank you. My question is to the Premier: will any entity produce green steel under the government's State Prosperity Project and, if so, which entity and when?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:49): As I referred to in my previous answer, there are a number of elements to the State Prosperity Project: copper, green iron and hydrogen. The green iron opportunity is best able to be realised in the nearest term by the enterprise that owns the Whyalla Steelworks. I think most ideally you would take the existing capital and you would take the existing knowledge to be able to transform the existing steelworks into a facility that can produce green iron.

But let me say this for the benefit of the shadow minister: this is a long-term strategy. To be able to produce green iron requires a huge capital investment wherever it is produced. You need not just the resources—the magnetite, the hydrogen, the natural gas—but also a DRI facility, and that is a major capital investment. In the first instance, that would most likely be realised by a pilot program—a trial program, maybe something in the order of one million tonnes—but it would be far more advantageous if the existing owner of the steelworks was the one who was most committed to it.

But the thing is, there is one side of the house that has plans, there is one side of the house that is demonstrating its commitment with robust policy, and then there is another side of the house that is worrying about the culture wars. There is the other side of the house worrying about preselections.

Mr BATTY: Point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right will stop interjecting. The member for Bragg.

Mr BATTY: Standing order 98: the Premier is debating and providing a bizarre commentary on what the opposition is up to. He should get on with answering the question.

The SPEAKER: I will ask the Premier to resume his comments. I think what the Premier was doing was responding to interjections, which are unparliamentary and in breach of the standing orders.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: The people of South Australia are quite rightly scrutinising every member in this place and asking: what is the economic plan, what is the strategy that governments or alternative governments have to realise the opportunities before us? We know that there will be challenges; we know that nothing worth doing is necessarily simple in a modern context, particularly given the sort of complexity that we are talking about—but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be committed to it.

There are some who I think are gearing themselves up to somehow think there is a political opportunity in the demise of a business in South Australia. We don't take that view. We know—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Florey! Final warning for the member for Florey. Members on my left, you will listen to the Premier in silence.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: The Leader of the Opposition shouts across the chamber that he is just trying to help. Well, if the Leader of the Opposition—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Leader, you can leave the chamber until the end of question time.

The honourable member for Hartley having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: If the Leader of the Opposition was serious about trying to help, he would make sure that the alternative government of this state isn't focused on its internal culture wars and instead is focused on developing and procuring serious policy that might actually help someone in South Australia.

Mr BATTY: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Point of order from the member for Bragg.

Mr BATTY: Standing order 98 again. You directed the Premier return to the question last time. He is defying your order now.

The SPEAKER: No, I directed the opposition to stop interjecting and I have heard nothing but—

Mr Batty: But we're not—

The SPEAKER: You can leave the chamber for the rest of question time too, member for Bragg. I am sick of the interjections. This is a really serious subject for South Australia and you should be listening in silence. The Premier.

The honourable member for Bragg having withdrawn from the chamber:

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right, you will be leaving, too, if you continue with your interjections.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: Our commitment to the State Prosperity Project is sincere. We would love to see GFG be able to realise its own transformation plans. Regardless, we believe there is a bright future ahead for the city of Whyalla, given the natural resources that are at its disposal, and we are committed to realising all of that potential.