Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Grayndler from moving the following motion—

That the House:

(1)      censures the Deputy Prime Minister for misleading the House in Question Time on Monday, 7 September when he:

(a)   stated that reports that senior officials from his Department advised Bill Milby of North Star Cruises to reflag his vessel to a foreign nation, sack his 50 Australian workers and hire foreign crew to compete, were "inaccurate"; and

(b)   told the House that such advice "is not possible under the proposed legislation before Parliament";

(2)      notes the evidence before the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee where Mr Milby confirmed his written evidence contained in his submission that he was advised by officials to "consider taking our ship True North off the Australian Shipping Register, re register the ship in a foreign country, lay off our Australian crew and hire a cheaper foreign crew" under his proposed laws;

(3)      notes that last night Judith Zielke, Executive Director, Surface Transport Policy Division and Michael Sutton, General Manager Maritime and Shipping Branch both gave evidence that they did give advice to Mr Milby about the reflagging option;

(4)      further notes last night's comment from Mr Milby that "I don't have an issue with the people who gave that advice because if you read the legislation and the explanatory memo, they were telling me the truth";

(5)      notes the evidence from the government's official economic modelling for the bill assumed that the displaced Australian seafarers would "get other jobs";

(6)      also notes the evidence from Tasmanian freight operator Searoad, North Star Cruises and Maritime Industry Australia Limited, that investment in shipbuilding and local job creation is threatened by this flawed legislation; and

(7)      accordingly, calls for:

(a)   the Deputy Prime Minister to immediately correct the record following his misleading answer in Question Time yesterday—

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