Prime Minister
PRIME MINISTER: It’s great to be here in Whyalla - a city with a great future.
[Applause]
It’s tremendous to be here with my good friend Steven Marshall. Can I acknowledge the leaders of the Opposition who are here today, particularly Bill Shorten who is here federally. To Senator Anne Ruston, to my good friend Rowan Ramsey, the federal member. Can I also acknowledge Councillor Claire McLaughlin, your Mayor, and of course Sanjeev Gupta and Mengxing Zhang. It’s wonderful to be here with you all. I'll have a little bit more to say about Sanjeev in a few more minutes. But I also must acknowledge another very special guest in today’s crowd - Santa Claus here. There he is. Santa, say hello, there he is. Thanks for coming, Santa.
As I said, Whyalla is a city with a future. And it was 55 years ago another Prime Minister came to Whyalla. It was Bob Menzies, and he was here at an old-style public meeting, it may as well have been here in this very park. And someone called out to him, "Have you got any shares in this enterprise?" And he turned to them and said, "I've got shares in Australians Unlimited." The same is true today. When I’m asked if the Commonwealth has shares or interest in what's happening here in Whyalla or indeed throughout regional Australia and our economy I say, absolutely, we do. Because the stronger economy that we've been building for the last five years isn't just about a stronger economy in the triangle of Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. It is about a stronger economy that we want to reach into every singing part of this country. That means right here in Whyalla.
That's why several years ago when Arrium was in deep difficulty, we were happy to step up and provide the support which led ultimately to Sanjeev's company coming and making the investment that they did. Which I note they did without any asks or without any guarantees. But ensuring that we got to that point, that we put in place the contracts for the rail service and ensuring that we delivered the regional jobs program and not too far from here as well, investing in the regional economy. Our work as a national Government is to ensure that Australia is efficient, that we are productive, that we are competitive, that we can mix it and Whyalla certainly can.
Bob Menzies' vision of Australia Unlimited with its economy continues to be realised here today. There are parts of this country that have great natural advantages, proximity to markets, particularly our Asian markets and large populations. Here in Whyalla there is proximity to the resources. But you're also supported by other things I believe. That is lower taxes to ensure that we have energy policies that support the investments that need to be made here. Good sound [inaudible] policies. Ensuring we have great relations in our workplaces. That we don't have conflict in our workplaces but we have harmony, people working together for the common enterprise and ensuring we have laws to support that. More than in any other part of Australia this will make a difference I believe.
That's why we're all here to talk about Whyalla today. The viability of what we do here depends on all other parts of our economy working together and supporting the investments that are being made here. Almost 1.2 million jobs created in the last five years, 100,000 just in the last 12 months for young people, and we've seen that here as well. Like Menzies said, we are a shareholder here of what's happening. The future of Whyalla is jobs, it's investment, it's families, it’s stronger communities that are supported by a stronger economy. By a State Government that is turning this state around. I particularly want to acknowledge Premier Marshall for the inspired confidence that we're seeing now again in the South Australian economy. South Australia now has the highest level of business confidence in eight years. This is the turnaround state in South Australia, and this is the comeback city of Australia, when we're talking about Whyalla. And I've got a keen interest in comebacks. I've got a keen interest in the turnaround story that we're seeing here in South Australia. Just like you believe, I believe that our economy will continue to underwrite communities in regional Australia, including here in Whyalla all around the country.
Here in Whyalla with Sanjeev Gupta and CFG we know of another leader who knows how to turn things around. He's done it before as we know in other parts of the world. He and I had a long conversation a few weeks back and he told me that story of how you rebuild, of how you bring people together, of how you set out the vision for the future, and that's what he's doing here in Whyalla and with his investments. He has the tool kit to do it. He hadn't come here asking for anything but at the same time we'll work closely with them as put forward their plans and their proposals, working closely with the Marshall Government to ensure that we can realise the opportunities here in Whyalla. He brings an entrepreneurial spirit. He's defied the critics and he's backed himself with his own cash and his own credibility to come here and make this work. And so what he announces here today, significant transformation of the steelworks, some $600 million which will make it vastly more efficient and competitive secure the roughly 2,500 jobs that rely on that investment, and a potential new nextgen mega steel plant.
This is big stuff. But you have got to start from where we are right now, putting those building blocks in place of turning around the profitability of the plant, of getting the workforce and the management working together, as I know you have, and the sacrifices and commitments you've made to make this work. Everybody pulling together to make this work. A steel plant producing with state of the art technologies that include the best environmental safeguards. Sure, there are still plenty of hurdles to clear and they're big ones. They're big ones. But this is the comeback city of the Australian economy and this is the turnaround state of South Australia. I every have confidence, with the continued support of Rowan Ramsay here, as your local member, who has been a champion for ensuring that the Commonwealth Government has been playing its part in every single element of what's been happening here, will be able to see this through.
It's a win for Whyalla. It's a win for South Australia. And it's a win for Australia. And a stronger economy for Australia. A stronger economy that guarantees and then delivers the essential services that is you rely on. Whether it's the upgrade of the school, whether it's the support of the hospital or yesterday, when I was able to announce $110 million to ensure that Medicare services are available for Australians some 30,000 every year, with eating disorders, something that I know is the worry of every single Australian parent.
We can do that because of a stronger economy. And what you're doing here, Sanjeev, what you're doing here, Whyalla, is making our economy stronger, so we can make Australia stronger, and make Australia the great country it is and always has been. Thank you very much.