GFG Alliance

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (14:41): My question is to the Premier. What action, if any, is the government taking to support the employees of Fenner Dunlop? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr PATTERSON: It was reported in The Advertiser today that Fenner Dunlop had gone to the wall as a result of unpaid invoices from GFG.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:41): It is always concerning when any business in South Australia has to enter either liquidation or administration because of lack of market share or market conditions, but it is even worse when you are living in a one-horse town where the major employer is a steelworks and that steelworks is not paying their bills. For us, the most important aspect of what Mr Gupta is proposing to do is that we do everything we can to make sure that the infrastructure is in place to allow the steelworks to operate and flourish.

The iron ore mines in the Middleback Range have been some of the most profitable iron ore mines anywhere in Australia over the last six years, generating untold wealth. There have been reports in The Australian of over $400 million being taken out of the country and moved to other parts of GFG across the globe. Rather than asking the government about what we are doing, isn't the most appropriate question to one person in particular, which is GFG: why haven't they paid their bills?

Attempting to blame the government of South Australia for the unpaid debts of what is going on in Whyalla is the worst type of ambulance chasing I have ever seen. It is appalling, absolutely appalling. So far we have heard from the opposition, 'Give them the $50 million without fulfilling the criteria that would require an upgrade and for that to be paid in arrears.' These are criteria that survived two changes of government, and now the opposition is attempting to blame this government because GFG isn't paying its bills. How about a bit of team South Australia rather than team GFG?