Whyalla Steelworks

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): My question is again to the Minister for Small Business. What does the minister say to small business owner Tom Antonio? With your leave—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my right!

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: Mr Antonio, a small business owner in Whyalla, was reported this morning as demanding the government make public its contingency plan for the steelworks, describing the economic climate in the city as 'diabolical'.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:37): As the government has reiterated and made clear, not just during the course of this week but for some weeks, this is a government that is very assiduously and thoroughly preparing for all eventualities. We are not barracking for the failure of GFG, we are not seeking—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Florey and people on my left will listen to the Premier in silence.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: We are not barracking for the failure of GFG; in fact, we wish whoever owns the steelworks, GFG or anybody else, every success in realising the opportunity we have before us. Of course we are impatient for success, as I said on the radio this morning, and we want to see commitments materialise into actions, but we are planning for every circumstance—as we reasonably should.

The impost that is placed upon small businesses when bills are not paid on time is massive. The impost on workers when they lose their hours is just as dramatic for a household. That is why we do call on GFG and reiterate to GFG their obligations to pay their debts as and when they fall due. But, more than that, we would love to see GFG actually make the big capital investments in the steelworks to realise all the opportunities that they themselves know exist. The big reveal, which was well and truly championed by the former government, was made towards the end of 2018, if my memory serves me correctly. Those on the opposite side of the house were very quick—and I think quite reasonably quick—in wanting to support Mr Gupta in realising the transformation plans at Whyalla.

I would remind the Leader of the Opposition that they were certainly barracking for Mr Gupta while in government, just as we were in opposition. As I said, we want to see them succeed. We are very aware of the circumstances. There are clearly challenges that GFG are experiencing, and should that manifest itself in the worst of circumstances for GFG and they go into voluntary administration, then this government stands ready to have a plan of action. We don't anticipate that will happen. GFG are telling us it won't happen. As I foreshadowed earlier this morning, I am meeting with Mr Gupta not long after question time via video link or phone link. We will continue to monitor the situation as closely as we can.

But I would make this point—and I am not seeking to make it a partisan one, but just an objective fact—that it is true that only one side of the house has a plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in Whyalla. We are so committed to the Upper Spencer Gulf opportunity centred around Whyalla that we went to the election with a significant policy that had a costing associated with it of hundreds of millions of dollars to actually seal the realisation of that opportunity. Of course, the contrast is really stark. I don't recall there being any substantial policy at the last state election, or any substantial policy that has been announced since then, that would seek to advance the opportunity in Whyalla. That is just an objective fact. We are getting on with the task, and we remain committed to it.