Well, the embattleds Wileer Steel Works appears to be in worse condition than previously thought, but Administrator's called Amantha working to restore it with federal and state government support. There have been plenty of expressions of interest from potential buyers and hopes to sell the steel works and the middleback range iron ore minds by year end. However, former Senator and Jackie Lambey Senate candidate Rex Patrick has some thoughts about it. He joins, men are Rex, good morning to you.

Well, the embattleds Wileer Steel Works appears to be in worse condition than previously thought, but Administrator's called Amantha working to restore it with federal and state government support. There have been plenty of expressions of interest from potential buyers and hopes to sell the steel works and the middleback range iron ore minds by year end. However, former Senator and Jackie Lambey Senate candidate Rex Patrick has some thoughts about it. He joins, men are Rex, good morning to you.

Good morning Graham.

Good morning Graham.

Before we get on to Wyler, first thoughts on the tariffs.

Before we get on to Wyler, first thoughts on the tariffs.

Well, last month Donald Trump drive over us in a big truck on alumin and steel, and this morning he backed over Square just lying down on this. There are lots of things that we could do. Albo has come out this morning suggesting that he's going to take matters to the World Trade Organization. Donald Trump has just the funded that is unlikely to take any ruling from an expert panel in the WTO seriously. And even if he did this, the WTO takes years to resolve issues. We should be standing much much firm. There are things that we can do to basically push back. We have been mates. We have been loyal to the United States for eight decades, and this morning we saw how the US has responded to that. Now I might just point out, it's Trump, it's not people in the United States.

Well, last month Donald Trump drive over us in a big truck on alumin and steel, and this morning he backed over Square just lying down on this. There are lots of things that we could do. Albo has come out this morning suggesting that he's going to take matters to the World Trade Organization. Donald Trump has just the funded that is unlikely to take any ruling from an expert panel in the WTO seriously. And even if he did this, the WTO takes years to resolve issues. We should be standing much much firm. There are things that we can do to basically push back. We have been mates. We have been loyal to the United States for eight decades, and this morning we saw how the US has responded to that. Now I might just point out, it's Trump, it's not people in the United States.

You were saying that there are things that we could do. Would you like to share those thoughts with us?

You were saying that there are things that we could do. Would you like to share those thoughts with us?

Absolutely? So. Last month we shipped eight hundred million Australian dollars to the US to help them with their with their building of their shipyards, to deliver a submarine that no one realistically thinks will get delivered. We've got another four billion dollars that we're going to send to the US. We can just stop that. I'm not going to get Virginia class submarines. I was at the summit that I'm out from. Turnbull ran on Monday morning, or on Monday in the National Press Club. Everyone accepts we're not getting those subs. Yet we're just sending all that money. We can stop that. We can stop tying Gap, we can stop Northwest Cape, we can take critical mineral exports off the table. We can apply a digital tax to Meta X and Google. Lots and lots of things we can do if we just sit silently. We're going to get run over again and again and again.

Absolutely? So. Last month we shipped eight hundred million Australian dollars to the US to help them with their with their building of their shipyards, to deliver a submarine that no one realistically thinks will get delivered. We've got another four billion dollars that we're going to send to the US. We can just stop that. I'm not going to get Virginia class submarines. I was at the summit that I'm out from. Turnbull ran on Monday morning, or on Monday in the National Press Club. Everyone accepts we're not getting those subs. Yet we're just sending all that money. We can stop that. We can stop tying Gap, we can stop Northwest Cape, we can take critical mineral exports off the table. We can apply a digital tax to Meta X and Google. Lots and lots of things we can do if we just sit silently. We're going to get run over again and again and again.

We got sidetracked. Rex, thank you very much for that. I didn't want to have a chat with you regarding that, but it was pretty valuable in Putt and we appreciate it. Yet, let's get back to wireless steel works. How do you assess the situation at the moment? Is the condition improving? Qudamantha running things well? What do you see is the future?

We got sidetracked. Rex, thank you very much for that. I didn't want to have a chat with you regarding that, but it was pretty valuable in Putt and we appreciate it. Yet, let's get back to wireless steel works. How do you assess the situation at the moment? Is the condition improving? Qudamantha running things well? What do you see is the future?

Look, Quartermantha is running things well. But we need to understand that Cordamenta has a statutory obligation to act in the best interests of the creditors. That's not the same as saying he acts in that court Menta acts in the national interest. So no criticism of them, but are doing what they're required to do from a statutory perspective. But if we look at what's been laid out on the table by the Labor Party, one point nine billion dollars for a steel works that the state government testified at estimates requires three billion dollars. And we've got no commitment at all from the Liberal Party as to what mister Dutton will do if he's in government. So there's all sorts of uncertainties in my view, the only certain pathway forward for Whaler is to nationalize it. If we're going to put one point nine billion dollars in and we want surety, I think we simply nationalize this. What I fear is that, and this has been sort of talked about by Sebastian Hands, the administrator. We're getting offers. People are particularly interested in the mine expansion program. There's lots of valuable magnetite in the Middle Back Ranges, and it could be that someone just targets that. Now the state government will come and say the wireless steel works out prevents that. There's an indenture that sits on the back of that that says you've got to keep the steel works and the mining the mines together. But we know that Sanjef Gupta had that same indenture requirement and he simply took all out of the mines, shipped it overseas and let the steel works run to the ground.

Look, Quartermantha is running things well. But we need to understand that Cordamenta has a statutory obligation to act in the best interests of the creditors. That's not the same as saying he acts in that court Menta acts in the national interest. So no criticism of them, but are doing what they're required to do from a statutory perspective. But if we look at what's been laid out on the table by the Labor Party, one point nine billion dollars for a steel works that the state government testified at estimates requires three billion dollars. And we've got no commitment at all from the Liberal Party as to what mister Dutton will do if he's in government. So there's all sorts of uncertainties in my view, the only certain pathway forward for Whaler is to nationalize it. If we're going to put one point nine billion dollars in and we want surety, I think we simply nationalize this. What I fear is that, and this has been sort of talked about by Sebastian Hands, the administrator. We're getting offers. People are particularly interested in the mine expansion program. There's lots of valuable magnetite in the Middle Back Ranges, and it could be that someone just targets that. Now the state government will come and say the wireless steel works out prevents that. There's an indenture that sits on the back of that that says you've got to keep the steel works and the mining the mines together. But we know that Sanjef Gupta had that same indenture requirement and he simply took all out of the mines, shipped it overseas and let the steel works run to the ground.

And you fear that could happen again, Well, there's.

And you fear that could happen again, Well, there's.

Nothing the government can can do to that. They stood up in Wiler and said the indenture, the indenture is the savior. But that indenture you can drive an iron ore truck through and it only applies at the acquisition stage, and you can have someone walk up and so here's our great plans for Whaler. They get past the acquisition stage and then they can do something completely different. And we've seen someone just do that.

Nothing the government can can do to that. They stood up in Wiler and said the indenture, the indenture is the savior. But that indenture you can drive an iron ore truck through and it only applies at the acquisition stage, and you can have someone walk up and so here's our great plans for Whaler. They get past the acquisition stage and then they can do something completely different. And we've seen someone just do that.

So what is the next step. You say, nationalization is the way we should go. A lot of people say, you know, governments have no business trying to get into the steel working business. Is there a happy medium?

So what is the next step. You say, nationalization is the way we should go. A lot of people say, you know, governments have no business trying to get into the steel working business. Is there a happy medium?

Well, people say that about the steel works. But you know what. Our government runs a parcel service it's called Australia Post. Our government has a shipyard it's called ASC. Our government runs air traffic controls called Air Services Australia. We've got a radar company. We've got ARTC looking after railways. Wherever the national interest requires that the government can intervene, and not suggesting that we have politicians running wile that would be foolish. What can happen is we can have the government form a statutory corporation. They appoint a board of experienced people in the steel industry CEO and they run the company. But that way, when we invest the money, where there's firstly surety that we maintain this highly valuable national asset. It's a critical national security and national resilience asset. But we don't lose the money that we simply would otherwise be giving to another corporation to turn it around. You know, maybe in ten years time, once we've got a new steel works, maybe at that point we can walk away from it with a profit coming back to tax payers.

Well, people say that about the steel works. But you know what. Our government runs a parcel service it's called Australia Post. Our government has a shipyard it's called ASC. Our government runs air traffic controls called Air Services Australia. We've got a radar company. We've got ARTC looking after railways. Wherever the national interest requires that the government can intervene, and not suggesting that we have politicians running wile that would be foolish. What can happen is we can have the government form a statutory corporation. They appoint a board of experienced people in the steel industry CEO and they run the company. But that way, when we invest the money, where there's firstly surety that we maintain this highly valuable national asset. It's a critical national security and national resilience asset. But we don't lose the money that we simply would otherwise be giving to another corporation to turn it around. You know, maybe in ten years time, once we've got a new steel works, maybe at that point we can walk away from it with a profit coming back to tax payers.

We have other steel works in Australia. Why as Whale as so significant and important.

We have other steel works in Australia. Why as Whale as so significant and important.

While it is the only steel works in Australia that deals with large structural steel and also rail. So we've got great companies like Blue Scope in Wollongong, bizz Alloy also in Wollongong. Blue Stope does predominantly sheet steel, biz Alloy does specialty steel. We cannot lose the ability to build structural steel. We cannot lose the ability to build our own rail. We've got to know we're really in uncertain times in the geopolitical sphere, not only with sort of China going, but we're seeing Trump retreating and we need to step up. We need to take charge of our own sovereignty. And that doesn't mean you just buy submarines, tanks and ships. You fix things like fuel security issues, you make sure our industry is resilient. We need to make an investment in our national infrastructure to make sure we can stand on our own two feet when the proverbial hits the fan.

While it is the only steel works in Australia that deals with large structural steel and also rail. So we've got great companies like Blue Scope in Wollongong, bizz Alloy also in Wollongong. Blue Stope does predominantly sheet steel, biz Alloy does specialty steel. We cannot lose the ability to build structural steel. We cannot lose the ability to build our own rail. We've got to know we're really in uncertain times in the geopolitical sphere, not only with sort of China going, but we're seeing Trump retreating and we need to step up. We need to take charge of our own sovereignty. And that doesn't mean you just buy submarines, tanks and ships. You fix things like fuel security issues, you make sure our industry is resilient. We need to make an investment in our national infrastructure to make sure we can stand on our own two feet when the proverbial hits the fan.

The state and federal government would say, look, we've already chipped in billions of dollars. That surely should be enough.

The state and federal government would say, look, we've already chipped in billions of dollars. That surely should be enough.

The federal government is spending ten billion dollars investing in US shipyards and in UK shipyards. That as a starting point, I think everyone will just go why is that sort of money not being directed at a place like Wyler. We've seen in the election campaign seven billion dollars just being given to Queensland for the Bruce Highway. We've seen another seven billion dollars being given to roads in or Road and rail in Victoria. Governments make investments like this all the time. This is a critical national asset and we can't afford to let it slip away and die. And there's a risk of that happening. And the best way to avoid that risk, and the best way to give surety to all those workers in Whyler and all of the industries that feed off the Wireler Steel Works is for us to move towards nationalization.

The federal government is spending ten billion dollars investing in US shipyards and in UK shipyards. That as a starting point, I think everyone will just go why is that sort of money not being directed at a place like Wyler. We've seen in the election campaign seven billion dollars just being given to Queensland for the Bruce Highway. We've seen another seven billion dollars being given to roads in or Road and rail in Victoria. Governments make investments like this all the time. This is a critical national asset and we can't afford to let it slip away and die. And there's a risk of that happening. And the best way to avoid that risk, and the best way to give surety to all those workers in Whyler and all of the industries that feed off the Wireler Steel Works is for us to move towards nationalization.

The cnic would suggest that if Wyler was in a marginal seat, the money would be forthcoming.

The cnic would suggest that if Wyler was in a marginal seat, the money would be forthcoming.

You you just heard me talking about where they are throwing money around. You know, they're throwing money around in the in the States where the sort of biggest marginal seats are, where all the marginal seats are. All of these, all of these allocations of money is in effect pork barreling for the purpose of ensuring that those politicians stay in their jobs in Canberra, not thinking about the people in Wyler who have jobs, have jobs doing real work, really important national capabilities that they're that they're underwriting. So we've got you know, you know, Wyler is not a case of pork barreling. Wyler has come, you know, it is down on its knees. It does need national support and that's the reason why money has been allocated. It's not a pork barrowing exercise. But what we are seeing happen all around the place is pork barreling, and South Australia is just being basically ignored. We've got two marginal seats, Stirt and Boothby, and you know they're four hundred kilometers from Wyler.

You you just heard me talking about where they are throwing money around. You know, they're throwing money around in the in the States where the sort of biggest marginal seats are, where all the marginal seats are. All of these, all of these allocations of money is in effect pork barreling for the purpose of ensuring that those politicians stay in their jobs in Canberra, not thinking about the people in Wyler who have jobs, have jobs doing real work, really important national capabilities that they're that they're underwriting. So we've got you know, you know, Wyler is not a case of pork barreling. Wyler has come, you know, it is down on its knees. It does need national support and that's the reason why money has been allocated. It's not a pork barrowing exercise. But what we are seeing happen all around the place is pork barreling, and South Australia is just being basically ignored. We've got two marginal seats, Stirt and Boothby, and you know they're four hundred kilometers from Wyler.

Rex always good to chat, thank you Graham, rex Patrick, former senator trying to get back into the Senate. The Jackie Lamby Network Senate candidate for the upcoming election. Five Double A Mornings with Graham Goodings

Rex always good to chat, thank you Graham, rex Patrick, former senator trying to get back into the Senate. The Jackie Lamby Network Senate candidate for the upcoming election. Five Double A Mornings with Graham Goodings