Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Justice and Customs (Senator Ellison) to a question without notice asked by Senator Ludwig today relating to border protection and the unmanned tanker Jian Seng.

The answer from the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Ellison, was another miserable explanation for the appalling performance of his agency in relation to the ghost ship Jian Seng. I am indebted to Senator Ludwig because he really belled the cat on the incompetence of this minister and his agency in relation to border protection and, just as importantly, in relation to the protection of seafarers and fishermen who were in the area at the time where a vessel was uncontrolled and unlit—a navigation hazard at the very least—for about 17 days in Australian waters.

It has become clear that this vessel had been drifting aimlessly in the Gulf of Carpentaria for about 17 days. It was first known about by Coastwatch, apparently, and perhaps even earlier by the barge, on 8 March. The ship breached Australia’s porous borders sometime prior to that date. Its activities before that date are apparently not known, although the government concedes now that it was probably used as part of organised illegal fishing operations predating on the limited fishing stocks in Australian waters. It met no resistance from Australian authorities until 25 March. It certainly was a marine hazard. It was apparently unmanned, though we are not certain about that—we know that when it was boarded it was unmanned—it was certainly unlit and it was drifting aimlessly in the Gulf of Carpentaria. There are other vessels which sail in those waters—there are prawn trawlers, which work at night—and this vessel was unlit and a hazard to navigation.

It posed and possibly still poses unknown environmental and quarantine risks. I understand it has been refused admission to Weipa harbour and will be anchored outside of the harbour because of concerns of port authorities. It could have been carrying anything. It could have been carrying chemicals. It could have been carrying guns. It could have been carrying drugs. Did the department care? Apparently it did not care for 17 days. Here we have a government which, for its own purposes, knew that this is a vessel that it was not concerned about. It was not something it could use to put on the TV screens for Australians and make some more dog-whistle noises about protecting our borders. It was not concerned at all. It let it drift for 17 days. This was no Tampa ripe for exploitation, however. It was just a job that needed to be done—a job that the minister and his officers were not competent to do.

This is a vessel which the government now concedes was probably engaged in the dirty business of illegal fishing in Australian waters. Addressing that activity is obviously a low priority to this government. It is an activity the Howard government cannot or will not stamp out. As a result, Australian fishing stocks are being pillaged at unsustainable levels. For reasons unknown, the government took no action to arrest this vessel until it had been floating around in the gulf for 17 days. To use the language that the Prime Minister’s seal of approval has been given to, where the bloody hell was the government?

The attempt by the Minister for Justice and Customs to justify the government’s incompetence in this matter is absolutely breathtaking. He has now stonewalled Labor’s questions for two days. But the government cannot run away from its responsibility to explain its behaviour. It has some serious questions to answer: where did the vessel come from, what was it doing in Australian waters, who made the decision to let it drift free for 17 days, when was the Australian Maritime Safety Authority alerted to its existence, when were other seafarers warned of the hazard it posed, can the government explain how it plans to deal with the ship now and will it accept full responsibility for this fiasco or is it expecting the state of Queensland to take possession of the vessel and clean up the mess?

I am not surprised that the port of Weipa does not want the vessel there because, given the performance of this federal government, it is likely it would wash its hands of responsibility and say to the state government, ‘You’ve got it now; you deal with it.’ I am not surprised that the port of Weipa does not want the vessel in its harbour. I believe this government has a responsibility. It has failed to date. It has to pick up the challenge, deal with this vessel and get it out of Australian waters. As regards this ghost ship, what about Warren Truss? (Time expired)