BRIDGET BRENNAN: Let's go now to the Federal Industry Minister, Ed Husic, who has commended the state government's decision to force the steelworks into administration rather. The Minister joins us now from Adelaide. Good morning to you, Ed Husic.

ED HUSIC, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE: Good morning, Bridget. How are you?

BRIDGET BRENNAN: I'm well, thank you. Are we going to see steel making in this country nationalised?

ED HUSIC: Well, what we are going to see is a strong future for Australian steel making and Whyalla's got a big part to play in that. A lot of Australia features steel that's come out of Whyalla.  Whyalla has stepped up for the nation and we need to be there for Whyalla at its moment of need. But importantly, we can transition to a strong future by working to invest in changing and transforming Whyalla and ensuring that its product continues to be used by us. And that's what the Albanese government, working with the Malinauskas government, has been focused on. And if you look at it more broadly, I mean, there are three essential phases. First is obviously what we've seen in the last 24 hours, the move into administration. The second phase is managing the steelworks, ensuring it operates through administration. And then the third phase, the one that we also very much focused on and will be a big part of today's announcement by the Prime Minister is about transformation. What's the future look like for Whyalla? We think it's got a very strong and bright future.

BRIDGET BRENNAN: So, how much money are we talking about here? Can you just put a bit more meat on the bones of this announcement that's going to be made today? Are you saying that you are still looking for a buyer alongside the South Australian government and administrators, or will there be a heavier level of government involvement here?

ED HUSIC: Well, so if you look at just what I've mentioned a few moments ago in terms of the phasing going through administration right now will require KordaMentha to go through the books of Whyalla, see the true state of affairs, who's owed what actually, and the way that things are set up there in the corporate structure that Mr Gupta had in place. The transformation element is investing in the changeover, potentially for an electric car furnace and that direct reduced iron facility that's required to support the longer term transition to green steel. We want a buyer, a private sector player to step up and take over Whyalla. But what we're saying is they're not going to be doing all the heavy lifting on their own. We see it's important in the national interest to have sovereign steelmaking here, one. Two, we need to make steel in a sustainable way, that means reducing the emissions involved. And three, if we get that right, that is going to be a huge opportunity for the country as well. Not just satisfying what we need, but also other countries that are keen to get steel made with lower emissions. The other thing, Bridget, I just want to say in the process, through administration, there have been a lot of great people in Whyalla, not just working at the steelworks, but did work for the steelworks, contractors, small businesses. Through the process of administration, we are keen to see that they also have a focus on them and see how we can work with them. And part of our package today, around 100 million will be focused on helping those small contractors that did the right thing, acted in good faith and they should be properly compensated for the good work that they did.

BRIDGET BRENNAN: Do you have fears around what could happen given the US has imposed broad scale tariffs around the world, could we start to see more Chinese steel and aluminum come into the country and what would you do to prevent that happening to undercut local producers like Whyalla?

ED HUSIC: Well, the first thing to say is there's a great commercial opportunity to make high quality Australian steel that is in demand in other countries. And green iron as well is also in demand and will be in greater demand in the years to come. And if we get this right, great for the country, great for Whyalla and great for also regional communities and blue-collar communities that depend on the product. So, that's the first thing. In terms of dealing with the here and now and what you've put to me, we do have an antidumping commission in place. It is something that I will be keeping absolutely a close watch on and we are looking at whether or not what is the shape of the antidumping commission to take into account some of the issues that you've raised. If we do get more product from other countries that isn't priced in a fair and proper way, then we want the ADC to step in, call it out and take action in relation to it. But for here and now, what we're very much focused on as a Federal Government working with the South Australian government, is to ensure that a big player in Australian steel has not just a sense of certainty now about what's going to happen, but that they have got a role for the long-term future of steelmaking. Seventy-five per cent of structural steel in this country gets made in Whyalla. We want that to continue and then some.

BRIDGET BRENNAN: Just before I let you go on another issue, when you've seen two Melbourne women so viciously attacked in a religiously motivated, heinous attack here in Melbourne. What does it say to you about the level of Islamophobia in the country, which I know you've been concerned about, and what are you hearing from the community about whether or not this is being taken seriously, seriously enough by the government, but also by the media, Ed.

ED HUSIC: Bridget, I've spoken up regularly on this, said I was concerned about the rise in Islamophobia, estimated to be about 500 per cent since the October 7 attacks. The thing that really drives me is that everyone should be able to have space to live their lives free of fear, practice their faith, do what they want to achieve what they want in their own lives. Either Islamophobia or antisemitism, they burn the candle at both ends and squeeze the middle. We can't afford to have that as a nation. We've got to be able to call out hateful attacks like what happened to those two women in Melbourne, plus all the other antisemitic attacks that we've had occur. There is no place in this country for Islamophobia and antisemitism. A stronger country is a united one and I think that's what we all have a responsibility to stand up, to speak for, and also to act for as well. And so, as I said to you, I don't, you know, I don't, from my point of view, I've never grieved with one eye shut, and I've never taken to one side, not the other. We're all Australians. We should all care for each other and we should all stand up at people's moment of need and say to them, we'll look after you, we'll protect you, and that this type of behaviour doesn't represent the best of us.

BRIDGET BRENNAN: Okay, Ed Husic, we'll leave it there. Thank you for your time this morning.

ED HUSIC: Thank you very much, Bridget.