Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised mining giant BHP’s decision to shut down nickel operations in Western Australia, branding the planned suspension until February 2027 as “very disappointing”.

Today, Albanese is in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s Queensland electorate of Dickson and held a press conference earlier, but technical issues meant this masthead’s livestream didn’t work. However, this afternoon, the prime minster’s office released a transcript of the doorstop in Brisbane.

Albanese was asked how much cheaper nickel from China and Indonesia was to blame for BHP’s suspension of its Australian nickel operations, announced yesterday, putting more than 3000 jobs at risk after a global crash in nickel prices.

“Well, this is a very disappointing decision by BHP. I do note that they’ve said that frontline workers will be redeployed, and we’ll be holding them to account there,” he said, indicating the BHP decision was made despite government support to keep operating.

“We’ve been working with BHP, making suggestions, for a long period of time. We have a policy in place on critical minerals that will provide access to capital and financing because we regard critical minerals as not just being a part of our economic policy, but it’s important for our national security as well.”

The prime minister said he expected West Australian Premier Roger Cook would be disappointed with BHP’s decision too.

“There has been some competition of course, from Indonesia, but it’s of a different quality as well to that produced at the Kwinana plant, where I’ve been a couple of times,” Albanese said.

A reporter then asked if he was indicating he didn’t blame cheaper nickel from overseas for the closure, as BHP had done.

Albanese responded: “Well, certainly markets are, of course, a factor here. We are concerned about that, but this is a decision that BHP have made. We, frankly, find the BHP decision very disappointing.”