Andrew Nikolic (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

We are determined to roll back these failed Labor policies—to release our coastal trading potential and to support Tasmania's economic revitalisation. Unlike the Greens, or the member for Franklin or the member for Grayndler, the Tasmanian Liberals will continue to stand up for jobs in our state and push for urgent changes to Labor's coastal trading act.

I talked about the MUA earlier. Let me give you some additional examples of the sorts of strongarm tactics that we see from the MUA. I use another case study, from an international shipowner who does work on our coastline. We see MUA delegates confirming who the financial members of the union are and, therefore, who can work. MUA officials control training, like who goes on integrated rating training, which is a discriminator when it comes to what work you do and whether you can work on the ships. The ship's captain on foreign ships gets a list of who will work on the ship. The shipowner has no choice but to comply. The foreign captain and executive officers cannot give direction to MUA members; only the MUA foreman, the bosun, can direct the work of MUA members—the crane drivers, welders, cooks and deckhands.

This is simply a nail in the coffin of Australia's productivity. The sorts of things that we saw from those opposite—the sop to the MUA, the CFMEU and the other unions—simply drive another nail in the coffin of Australia's productivity. The sooner they realise that they need to come together as Hawke and Keating and Howard did on the big, strategic issues of the day to focus on the things that enhance Australia's productivity and make our budget sustainable, the better it will be for our entire country. I commend this bill to the House.

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