Steel Industry

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Robert Simms (SA), which means it was rejected.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) acknowledges that:

(i) the Australian steelworks manufacturing industry has been an important part of the Australian economy for almost 100 years, and

(ii) this is a difficult time for South Australian employees at Arrium OneSteel and the Whyalla community, with Arrium recently going into administration; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) provide urgent mental health support to the Whyalla community as part of any plan to assist in securing the future of the steel industry in South Australia,

(ii) invest in the development of greenhouse gas reducing steel-making technologies,

(iii) adopt a mandatory use of Australian Standards to assess the quality compliance of all steel-related building products used in Australia,

(iv) develop a legislated national procurement policy that ensures all government infrastructure and construction projects use at least 90 per cent locally-produced steel,

(v) as a condition of such a procurement policy, require that Australian steel producers adopt renewable sources of energy for the steel production process,

(vi) recognise That the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other free trade deals prevent federal and state governments from adopting such procurement policies should they be signed, and

(vii) reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership to protect South Australian jobs.