Thursday, 31 October 2019

 Ms BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (11:08): My question is to the Premier. Alcoa chief executive Roy Harvey has stated that Alcoa is considering potential closures. The closure of the Alcoa Portland smelter would see 1200 workers lose their jobs in a town with a population of just 10 000. This would be devastating for the people of Portland and south-west Victoria. In January 2017 the Premier stood in front of the workers at Portland Aluminium and said he supported them and had their backs. What has the government done since that photo opportunity to ensure that the Alcoa smelter has a future in Portland?

 Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:09): I thank the member for South-West Coast for her question. When I was at the smelter in Portland with the then Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who was happy to attend the event despite contributing but a fraction of the cost of the investment of the overall package, I was not there for a photo; I was there to announce a historic repowering agreement worth tens and tens and tens of millions of dollars. I think for reasons of precedent we have not named the figure, but it is a very substantial amount of money and the smelter would be closed today without it. In other words, if we had taken a policy of indifference—if we had, for instance, dared them to go, dared them to close, for instance—then it might have been like Ford or General Motors.

Ms Britnell: On a point of order, Speaker, I asked a very specific question. I asked what he has done since then to support the jobs in Alcoa, what has he done since then to ensure that the smelter in Portland stays open.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Premier’s answer is relevant to the question.

Mr ANDREWS: What have we done since providing tens of millions of dollars to the company? Goodness me! If the honourable member would like a briefing, I am happy to inquire as to whether that is appropriate, because might I respectfully submit that to try to suggest that the government has not done enough since having provided the funding that Alcoa required to remain open—an agreement that has not yet expired—is curious at best. In the question—

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: No, to be clear about this, in the question the member for South-West Coast referenced recent commentary by the global CEO of that business, and yes, those comments are indeed concerning. There will be no argument from me on that point But to suggest that the government has not done enough to this point or, perhaps in the supplementary, to suggest that we are not in active discussions with Alcoa is wrong; it would be wrong. This is not our record. It is not our way of doing things. We provided the money that was necessary to keep the smelter open, and it was not about photo opportunities; it was about job opportunities. If the member for South-West Coast knows so little about the biggest employer in her electorate, I am happy to organise a briefing.

 Ms BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (11:11): When the Premier was opposition leader, he said:

Every job is worth fighting for and there is a job for the state government to play.

When questioned by the media about what the government would do to save Alcoa’s 1200 jobs and the town that so depends on them, the Premier’s spokeswoman said:

This is a matter for Alcoa.

Why aren’t Portland aluminium jobs worth fighting for?

 Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (11:12): I do thank the member for South-West Coast for her supplementary question. I can remember when the Point Henry smelter closed under a previous government. That was very much a matter for Alcoa at the time, so a little bit of history is important when it comes to these matters. I have indicated that we are concerned. I think all Victorians would be concerned whenever a global CEO starts talking about big changes in any business that is a major employer. To suggest that the government is not actively involved in these issues and actively supportive of those jobs and other jobs is simply wrong.

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Well, commentary from the CEO of Alcoa is a matter for Alcoa. That is news to those opposite apparently.

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: We will be doing more than you did. Goodness me!

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Yes, the workers’ friend over here. The bloke who ran the unemployment rate through the roof, thank you for the lecture.