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

Australia has a fantastic record of aviation safety of which we as a nation should be proud. That record is the envy of the rest of the world. It is mainly due to the diligence of the nation's airlines and the professionalism of the men and women who are responsible for aviation safety in all sections of the aviation industry, including our engineers, our air traffic controllers and all those who work in the aviation sector in Australia. This record also says something about the mature approach taken by both sides of politics to aviation safety and regulations.

Governments of either political persuasion have always taken a non-partisan approach to aviation safety, and that is entirely appropriate. In fact, it is something that we should be proud of. We will have our arguments over many issues in this chamber, but when it comes to regulatory standards in the aviation sector—which injects about $7 billion into the national economy and is a critical part of the success of our tourism industry—it is important that we engage in mature debate on those issues. Hence, Labor will support this legislation on the basis that the government is essentially putting forward an expansion of the CASA board by two members. The opposition does not necessarily see the need to increase the size of the CASA board; however, given the minister has asked for this to happen, because it is an issue related to aviation safety it is something that we will give the minister the benefit of the doubt on.

The Minister for Transport says that he wishes to increase the breadth of expertise on the board ,and I would certainly encourage him to ensure that the appointments to the board are made on that basis rather than on any political considerations. The Minister for Transport says that this will allow the government to implement its vision for CASA. It is important that the opposition of the day supports the government wherever it can in areas of aviation safety, and I certainly intend to do so, as does the Australian Labor Party in this parliament.

We live on an island continent. We rely upon aviation to connect Australians with each other and to connect us with the world. We need to make sure that we continue to have a strong aviation safety record, and the previous government certainly put the highest priority on aviation safety. In 2009, we embarked on a process of developing a green paper and a white paper on aviation that were directed towards how we would see aviation not just a year in advance but for decades ahead. We strengthened CASA's independence by establishing the board in its current form. We did so to ensure that high-level-expert oversight of the authority's operations was in place. That was a part of the first national aviation policy statement in December 2009. There was extensive consultation with over 530 submissions from the industry, state and local governments and the community. The white paper process laid out a clear course for addressing the economic, security and environmental challenges facing aviation safety. That paper confirmed that safety and security was the number one concern. That should be the case for all governments of whatever political persuasion and I certainly believe that that will continue to be something that has bipartisan support in this parliament.

As a result of the aviation white paper, Labor strengthened baggage- and passenger-screening requirements. We tightened the Aviation Security Identification Card scheme. We improved security-screening standards and training programs. We modernised air traffic management, including the use of satellite technology. Importantly, we boosted CASA funding by $90 million. This additional funding over four years from 2010 provided it with certainty. I would say to the government, as it undertakes its budget deliberations, that it needs to ensure that that funding certainty continues into the future, because it provides organisation with the security to able to undertake its tasks in a manner that is appropriate, since aviation safety and security is the No. 1 priority. I acknowledge that the reforms arising from the aviation white paper were supported by the coalition.

The thing about aviation safety, though, is that the job is never finished. There is always something changing, whether it is due to technology, the international security environment or changing travel patterns. Indeed, it is vital that legislators and regulators keep abreast of the changes and act where necessary. You get a sense of the scale of the challenge when you consider the changes that have happened in this sector in the last couple of decades. As a result of aviation deregulation, airfares are now five times more affordable than they were 20 years ago and the number of Australians who fly has tripled. The emergence of low-cost carriers has opened the skies to many people who previously would not have travelled by air. Whereas decades ago air travel was a luxury, many Australians can now afford to fly interstate for the weekend to see a football match or a concert. So passenger volume is a challenge. The industry predicts that over the next two decades, passenger numbers will double to 72.9 million trips a year.

Then there is security. It is not so long ago that people could board aircraft without consideration to measures that had been put in place, such as going through a body scanner. When the government received the recommendations about the introduction of body scanners, it was seen, in some circles, as a controversial decision. It is a good example of bipartisan support securing the introduction of body scanners in a way that ensures civil liberties concerns were taken into account. The bipartisan support also ensured that the type of body scanner introduced was one that took into account health concerns relating to new technology that had been used in other parts of the world. Body scanners are now operating at our international gateway airports. They are operating efficiently. They are improving the security at those gateway airports. I acknowledge the fact that parliamentarians here did not play politics with the issue. We had a trial of the scanners up on the second floor of Parliament House so that members of parliament could go through a scanner themselves to experience it and see that there was no threat to people's dignity, no threat to safety and no threat to their health. Indeed, it is much safer than the time we spend on mobile phones in terms of the risk factors involved, with the analysis that had been undertaken by health experts.

The September 11 attacks in the United States changed the aviation landscape forever. They added a new layer of complexity to aircraft regulation. Another challenge is the extraordinary growth that we have seen of fly-in fly-out employment, particularly in the resources sector. Tourism, which employs half a million Australians and is the sector most reliant upon aviation, is also in a state of constant change. Because of international competition and the fact that tourism destinations go in and out of fashion frequently, we need our carriers to be nimble enough to be flexible while also maintaining the highest levels of passenger safety. Change is the only constant in aviation. CASA's emphasis on constant vigilance and continuous improvement has allowed it to meet the emerging challenges of the past, and I am confident that it will continue to do so in the future. As I mentioned earlier, Labor supports a bipartisan approach to aviation safety. It is too important to be a political battleground. However, there is a role for an opposition to raise concerns about the direction of some government policy, and earlier this month there were reports that the government was considering staff cuts of up to 20 per cent in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. The ATSB employs 110 people. They investigate accidents, safety concerns and near misses in air, sea and rail transport.

These cuts should not be considered by government. There is a need to quarantine ATSB—just like CASA and other safety organisations, like the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Their task is simply too important to cut corners by cutting costs and cutting staff, and I would hope that the government maintains at least the support that is there for these agencies.

Of course, the financial implications of this legislation—appointing two extra board members—will be $160,000 per year or thereabouts. If the government can find $160,000 per year to appoint two new board members, it should also find the resources to make sure that our transport safety authorities are quarantined from cuts for their own sake. I would urge the minister for transport, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, to make sure that these agencies are not subject to budget cuts.

In making these changes, the government says it is part of their policy. We are supporting it. However, when it comes to the potential for cuts in this area, there is a very simple, old-fashioned saying: it is better to be safe than sorry. And when considering the aviation sector, you cannot afford to be in the situation whereby you look back with regret at decisions made that may have been short-sighted. So I am confident that the government will reject the suggestion of making cuts to the agency's staff.

In conclusion, CASA has always done an excellent job over the years, including in its current configuration with its board, a product of the former Labor government's 2009 reforms. This bill does not change that structure; it simply increases the size of the board. In that context the bill is a continuation of the parliament's bipartisan approach to aviation safety—an approach that has served us well over the years—and I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.