GFG Alliance

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): I seek leave to give a brief explanation before asking questions of the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council on GFG administration.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: The government announced yesterday that KordaMentha would be appointed by the government as administrators of OneSteel, owned by GFG Alliance, with notices officially served to GFG throughout yesterday morning at offices across the country. According to The Advertiser, the owner of GFG Alliance, Mr Sanjeev Gupta, in an internal memo to his executive, said that the Australian government was wrong to put the Whyalla Steelworks into administration and would seek legal advice on how to protect the interests of his other companies which comprised more than half of Whyalla's creditors. My questions to the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council are:

1. Is the government aware if Sanjeev Gupta and GFG may attempt legal action to remove KordaMentha as administrators of OneSteel?

2. What impact would any potential legal action from GFG play during the administration phase and on the operations of the Whyalla Steelworks?

3. Will this impact on the government's ability to find a buyer for the Whyalla Steelworks?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:39): I thank the honourable member for her question. As she appreciates, I certainly won't canvas anything that could in any way whatsoever jeopardise the proper administration and then the ongoing continuation and hopefully new ownership of the Whyalla Steelworks.

What I can say, and I know that the Premier has said publicly, is that in coming to the decisions that were made and the action that was taken yesterday, which will happen over the coming days, weeks and months, the very best advice—the very best legal advice, in particular—of some of the very best legal minds in this area, the law, was sought. It informed the decisions that the government took and the way in which those decisions were made.