Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of Labor’s second reading amendment to the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Amendment (Security Plans and Other Measures) Bill 2006. The bill introduces measures in relation to the submission and approval of maritime, ship and offshore security plans. The bill is brief and straightforward and makes a number of small adjustments that Labor supports. While the Labor Party supports this bill as far as it goes, it is clear that the Howard government is not serious about addressing the deficiencies in Australia’s maritime and transport security. I hope that the provisions in this bill are acted on and implemented with greater competence than has characterised this government in its other dealings with maritime security.

I refer to the failure of this government to ensure that, as required by law, all ships advise details of their cargo and crew members 48 hours before they reach an Australian port. The most recent information given to the Senate tells us that just 67 per cent of ships coming to Australian ports actively comply with the requirement to properly advise of their cargo and crew 48 hours before they reach an Australian port. One-third of ships do not comply with the law, and this government is doing nothing about it. In the United States they have a similar requirement that a ship must advise the authorities of crew and cargo 48 hours before the ship berths. If ships do not provide that information 48 hours beforehand, they are required to stand offshore and, if need be, the coastguard will make sure that they do. In Australia we do not require them to stand offshore and we do not have a coastguard to stop them anyway.

Unfortunately, the National Party has been responsible for the transport portfolio ever since this government came to power. Ten long years of National Party mismanagement of the portfolio has left Australia’s maritime security in a parlous state. The current Minister for Transport and Regional Services, the honourable member for Wide Bay, has been busy trying to save his political neck from the ‘wheat for weapons’ scandal. As a result, it seems that the Minister for Transport and Regional Services has given less than his full attention to maritime security. I suspect the reason is that he is anxiously awaiting the report of Mr Justice Cole’s royal commission.

But I am not the only one frustrated by the pathetic performances of the National Party. I must admit that I did enjoy a great laugh over my Weet-Bix yesterday morning when I read a comment from Liberal MP Mr Michael Johnson on the front page of the Australian. According to Mr Johnson:

The National Party is on its last legs ... within the next 10 or 15 years they’ll be a dodo.

From where I sit in the Senate, I think Mr Johnson is 10 or 15 years behind: they are already a dodo.