Whyalla Steelworks

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:17): A supplementary question to the Premier: could the administrator cease operations of the Whyalla Steelworks?

The SPEAKER: That is not a supplementary: that is a separate question.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:17): The administrator has very clear and strict obligations under the Corporations Act, and those obligations are first and foremost to the ongoing operations of the business and its creditors, because the creditors of the business are best served if the steelworks—that is to say, the business—is a viable ongoing concern. That is the administrator's obligation, not too dissimilar to the objective that we have as a government to make sure that this is an enterprise that continues to produce steel for the country over the foreseeable future.

Appreciate and understand this: without an administrator fulfilling its obligations under the Corporations Act, where would we be right now? We would be in a parlous state where the ongoing operation of the steelworks would be under the custodianship of GFG, and we all know what that looks like. So it does not take much consideration to arrive at the conclusion that to be at this point is a far better one than where we were only hours ago.

We approach the future with a far greater degree of confidence this afternoon than what many people would have gone to work with in Whyalla this morning. Know this: this is just the beginning. The government's actions that you have seen put into place today are just a first step. Tomorrow, we will make another big one—a big one—where this government will demonstrate the depth of its commitment to the people of Whyalla and sovereign steelmaking in this country.

Today was just a first step. I can't wait to get up to Whyalla this afternoon to look in the eyes of the workers I have been meeting with for weeks and months, to sit down and talk to the contractors who have looked to the government to take a strong and decisive act, and explain to them exactly what we have done and why we have done it but, more importantly, to give them hope about what we are literally going to do tomorrow—because it is big. We do that because it is important. It is important to the country.

We cannot live in a nation where we are the world's biggest exporter of iron ore and one of the world's biggest exporters of metallurgical coal, but not have the capacity to put the two together to make iron and steel. We have that ability as a nation. Whyalla has been at the centre of that exercise for decades. They have done our nation proud—in times of war, in the first instance, producing the goods that were required for the nation's defence.

They are going to be able to do that tomorrow because we have a considered, thoughtful policy that isn't just about making sure that the steelworks survives but makes sure that it is set up for the future. That is what we are committed to; that is what we are going to deliver. To the extent that everyone else in the parliament shows their support for that endeavour as much as they have this morning, it will be very much welcome.