Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Hansard source

While the question was asked after the time had expired, I will answer it. I have not corrected the record, because there is no error in the record. The record is correct. What I said yesterday was that Mr Milby was not advised to take any particular course of action. No-one from my department has ever said to Mr Milby that he should sack his crew or reflag the vessel as has been reported. That is simply inaccurate. There were discussions, as confirmed with the transcript last night, between Mr Milby and officers of my department to discuss options and in particular to talk about elements of the report and the sorts of things that might be possible for an operation like his and, for that matter, others in the Australian shipping industry to take with the new legislation in place. They discussed a range of options. At no stage did the government tell him what he should do. He makes his own decisions as a responsible businessman.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

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