NICK RHEINBERGER, HOST: Senator Tim Ayres is the Assistant Minister for Trade and the Assistant Minister for a Future Made in Australia and he's on the line with me now. Good morning, Senator.
SENATOR TIM AYRES, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR A FUTURE MADE IN AUSTRALIA AND TRADE: Oh, g'day. It's good to be on the show and it's good to be on the south coast.
HOST: It's a lovely day to be here and we welcome you with open arms, sir. So, just to this, just to this base, why is there a need for a new base? Marine Rescue base at Crookhaven Heads. What's led to that?
SENATOR AYRES: Well, the Marine Rescue team have been working very hard with Fiona, Fiona Phillips, the local member in Gilmore, pitching up this redevelopment of the facility. They are a vital service for the work that's obvious that they do, that is all of the logging of arrivals and departures of vessels offshore and coordinating marine rescue work when it's required. But as you hinted at your introduction, they're actually really important in terms of disaster management, both on the south coast. But as you've indicated, that capability really built on enormous volunteer contributions can be deployed right around Australia, particularly along the east coast, to support communities when there's disasters like the recent one. So, we're really pleased to make a very substantial commitment, going halves with Marine Rescue to the redevelopment of this facility to make sure that it's fit for purpose and that this marine rescue continues. There are other advantages to this development because it'll become a focal point for community activity as well. But in terms of its core responsibility, this is going to mean those volunteers have got a facility that's fit for purpose and modern and they can keep doing their important work.
HOST. So, 1.39 million for a new base. That's not chump change at all. That's $1.39 million. Yeah. Does that mean that base will be knocked down and a new one will be built and tell us about that.
SENATOR AYRES: Yeah, essentially that's right. And the important thing to say about this is, yes, it's a very substantial contribution, but Marine Rescue are coming with their own equivalent contribution. This is the Albanese government and the community organisation working together, pitching in together to achieve this important community objective. Fiona has been absolutely ferocious about this issue. She's been advocating for this in Canberra for a long time. So, those of us in the Ministry and the executive have been hearing from Fiona about this for a long time. We're really pleased to make it an election commitment for the 2025 election. I know how much It'll be valued in and around the bay and how important this facility is for recreational marine users, but also more broadly.
HOST: Alright, Senator, in other news, if I could, to access the parts of your brain that don't relate to marine rescue, but do relate to your experience in the manufacturing workers union. The U.S. trump administration doesn't appear to be giving any country an exemption to its steel and aluminium tariffs. Surely this was an outcome your government was anticipating. But we've heard from the Prime Minister that Australia will continue to push for an exemption. I'm sure you will, but where to from here if that doesn't look likely?
SENATOR AYRES: Well, the last time this happened, it took nine months for Australia to secure an exemption. You're right. No country has secured an exemption for imports for aluminium or steel into the United States. I have to say, you know, it is an unjustifiable decision by the Trump administration. It is a slap in the face. And that's only repeating what the chair of the Australia US Caucus in Washington had to say. A very disappointing decision in the end. In the end, because no country has an exemption, it doesn't alter the competitive position. I suppose what it will mean is that steel and aluminium costs will increase for American businesses and for American consumers. It's a bad policy decision. We will continue to press in a systematic and disciplined way in the national interest. And as your listeners will know, we've had some experience dealing with trade barriers as a government. The approach that we took in relation to trade barriers that were put in front of Australian imports into China was a systematic, disciplined approach. We will do the same thing in relation to this. The Prime Minister, Ministers, the embassy in Washington will be full court press on this issue and all of the other trade issues that are on obviously going to emerge in the United States. The Trump administration has clearly made a decision to embark upon this course and we are going to protect the interests of Australian workers and Australian businesses.
HOST: One of those businesses is Bluescope and they say they're disappointed as well. Here's a quote. “We are working closely with the Australian trade and diplomatic staff in Canberra and in Washington D.C. and with a wide range of senior representatives in Congress to ensure the Bluescope investment proposition is fully understood.” End quote. My question to you, Senator. Do you think this is a matter of explaining the situation better to the Trump administration? I mean, is there something we left out of the pitch? I guess what I'm asking is, what's the point of continuing to ask if there's no hint one will be given?
SENATOR AYRES: Well, firstly, I want to thank Bluescope for being excellent partners in this advocacy effort and we will continue to work very closely with them and with the aluminium sector on these questions. We will keep pressing the case. We're not there making the same argument over and over again. We are asserting a very clear position that is in Australia's interests and we actually believe really in the interests of American consumers. We are not taking the approach of retaliatory tariff action because all that would do is push up prices for Australian consumers and for Australian businesses. So, we are focused on the national interest in a really disciplined kind of way here. Not all about the domestic politics, not pointing the finger of blame within Australia at others. We are just focused on achieving an outcome here for Australia. And it does underscore why our broader Future Made in Australia agenda for steel and aluminium in particular is the right course of action. You know, your listeners would have seen that we intervened with the South Australian government to secure the future of the Whyalla steelworks just a week ago. Three weeks ago, we delivered a $2 billion package for Australian aluminium. We are determined to protect our current manufacturing capability so that we can build Australia's manufacturing future and re-industrialise our big industrial regions and produce more good blue collar jobs in the outer regions, in the outer suburbs and regions of Australia. That's our agenda. Unashamedly pro manufacturing. That means we're going to be tough on trade and focused and disciplined on trade. But we've got an ambitious agenda for supporting industry, including in the Illawarra.
HOST: Senator Ayers, it was great to chat to you. Enjoy the sunshine on the south coast today and yeah, best of luck down that way.
SENATOR AYRES: I'm absolutely delighted to be here and look forward to talking to you again soon.
HOST: Talk to you soon. Take care. That's Senator Tim Ayres.
ENDS.
