China Cost Us 10,000 Nickel Jobs, Now It’s Coming for Copper and Lithium: Australian Senator

Thousands more Australian jobs in the metals industry are under threat as China floods global markets with state-backed supply, prompting Nationals Senator Matt Canavan to call for a Senate inquiry into the issue.

“The prime minister’s own resources minister, Madeleine King, said the other week that Chinese finance supply expansion of the nickel industry cost us that industry and 10,000 jobs last year,” Canavan told Sunrise on July 16.

“She then went on to warn the same thing’s happening in copper and lithium.”

Canavan, along with Townsville MP Andrew Willcox, both announced a push for a Senate inquiry next week when Parliament returns to try “secure the over 6,000 jobs that are at risk right now” in smelters and refineries.

“It’s a manufacturing industry that is at the heart of our country, we should keep it and should push back against these aggressive tactics we’re seeing from China.”

The Chinese Communist Party’s substantial involvement in China’s metals industry has resulted in the “dumping” of low cost metals into global markets that effectively squeeze the industries in other countries.

Canavan’s comments come as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continues his current diplomatic tour of China.

“It’s not clear exactly what Australia has gotten out of the prime minister’s six-day jaunt through China,” Canavan said.

“China seemingly acts as it would choose to do across the Pacific region.”

The Nationals MP was also critical of Albanese for not taking a firmer stance on an incident earlier this year that involved three CCP warships circumnavigating Australia.

During a press conference on July 15, the prime minister maintained that the CCP did not breach international law, noting the government was more concerned about the lack of notice given by the warships before appearing to engage in live fire exercises.

Canavan said discussions about notice were irrelevant, and that the prime minister should tell the CCP “not to conduct live fire exercises under a civilian flight path.”

“It does show why the prime minister needs to get to the U.S.—he should have spent three days in China and three in [Washington] D.C., because we need to work with all countries here to secure peace in our region.”

Shadow defence spokesman Angus Taylor also pushed Albanese not to neglect the U.S.-Australia relationship.

“There’s no doubt President Trump would meet with Anthony Albanese, he meets with everybody—he’s met with prime ministers from Africa, from all over the world,” he said.

“I think the prime minister’s just scared, he’s scared of going into the West Wing, he’s scared of going into the Oval Office because he doesn’t know if he can handle the heat.”