Ed Husic is asked this question at the press club and responds with”

Just asking the question itself and with the possible consequence shows how challenging the environment is before us, I appreciate that is a massive understatement.

If we start down this path, it takes years, if not decades to unpick. We have an opportunity to sidestep all that work that will be required. The reason I say that is because you have witnessed, as we all have in the last 24 hours, the dialogue between our Prime Minister and the US President on this issue with respect to steel and aluminium.

There has been an agreement to consider what, if at all, should be effecting our country. We have been a steadfast ally of the US for generations, our people have fought side-by-side. We forge very close relationships. We do important strategic work together and investments in defence come with the closeness of those relationships. That is really important. The trade surplus we have with the US is factually, in a concrete way very important. These are the things we will work through with the US. It is way too early for us to be engaged in speculation, though I appreciate what drives your question. We will work through these issues.

The reality is, there are only a couple of places in the world that make aluminium. Australia is one, Canada is the other. The others are Russia, China and the Middle East. I reckon a country that is a strong ally, that has a strong relationship with the US and that is across from the Pacific and that has been providing product that has been in high demand on the west coast, there is a lot of compelling reasons why we can work together without the imposition of tariffs.