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

I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying this MPI today because not only have I agreed with Senator Boswell, from the Nationals in Queensland, but I have to agree with some of Senator Macdonald’s interjections from that side of the bench, too. It was not me who called him that. Obviously, you have touched a nerve. You have had similar problems in your party. The problem, unfortunately, is that if the Greens were interested in finding the real cause of the spillage they would have put the spotlight on what Howard government policies did to Australia’s maritime and shipping security and safety when it was in power. I would like to add that in the 12 years of the previous government’s reign, there were more things to worry about than a unionised workforce on the waterfront—that is very clear.

This event reinforces what many Australians with vast experience in working in the maritime industry have been saying for years: that the level of competence of foreign crews employed by many international shipping companies is of a standard which would not be accepted in Australia and should not be accepted in Australia. You can have low-skilled, low-wage foreign crews, but this can come at huge potential risk to the environment and to national security. This ship, the Pacific Adventurer, was carrying a large deck cargo of ammonium nitrate, as Senator Brown mentioned. I believe that it was heading off to Indonesia. But to say that we should cease all export of ammonium nitrate or that we should ban the shipping of ammonium nitrate to Indonesia is, Senator Brown, a little bit far out for my liking.

This ship left Brisbane while a cyclone was active off the coast of Brisbane. We said that. I hope I stated the reasons very clearly in my opening remarks. To state the bleeding obvious, I suppose, losing some 218 or 250 tonnes of crude oil and 30-odd containers overboard in one morning is quite a concern. It is quite disgraceful that it happened. Fortunately, it is on the way to being cleared up. I seriously hope that the rest of the beaches in Queensland are cleared up sooner rather than later. I read an article that named all the beaches that had been opened, but I will leave that to my Queensland counterparts. I am sure that Senator Moore will help us out. I must admit that it is alarming to see how many of those pristine beaches were covered with the oil, but it is very comforting to know that the national plan has swung into operation. It is very comforting to know that there are literally thousands of people wanting to help clean up.

Unfortunately, situations like this do occur; it does not make us feel any better. But I really do take offence that all of a sudden it is the fault of a government—regardless of their political persuasion. How could it be the fault of the government that containers have fallen off a ship and that the ship was damaged leaving a massive oil slick on the Queensland coast? They are doing a great job and I urge senators opposite and Senator Brown of the Greens to at least focus on the effort by the volunteers and the fine job they are doing. (Time expired)