Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety) Share this | Hansard source

Under standing order 115(2)(a), I move:

That this bill be referred to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 11 March 2021.

One thing that is of no difference in this chamber of this building is that we must do everything we can to keep our shores safe. There is not a senator or member in any parliament around the states or in the nation that would disagree with that. We do everything we can to stop the flow of drugs coming into this nation.

One thing I can assume with confidence is that the majority of drugs coming into this nation aren't coming here by hot air balloon. I think I'd be pretty safe to say, senators, that they're not strapped to the legs of pigeon flocks heading down from South-East Asia or South America; I think I'm on the money there. One thing I could say without any fear of contradiction is that they're—and we see Border Security on the TVcatching everyone bringing in all sorts of food in their suitcases, so there's probably a good chance that the majority of these massive drug hauls aren't coming into Australia on our planes and we hope that everything is screened as it's going through. That's what they're telling us or showing us.

Coming back to what I can safely say, they have to get here by ship. It's pretty simple. I can say this without any fear of contradiction: they're not coming on Australian ships. How do I know they're not coming on Australian ships? We haven't got any. The only two Australian ships we've got flagged and crewed are our gas buggies running off the north-west coast on the big side of Australia. What I can safely say, without any fear of contradiction, is that it would be flag-of-convenience vessels.

In last week's media, we saw some major drug hauls off the coast of Hinchinbrook Island. Possibly it was cocaine. I haven't seen icing sugar wrapped up like that. It might have been heroin. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong and it's sugar or flour or some damn thing. To get back to the topic, we've seen the attempt of the government to make it as hard as possible, even harder, for our maritime workers, our wharfies or our seafarers, and our aviation workers. If they're doing something wrong, clamp down. But, as I said earlier today, I cannot for the life of me accept—no way—not applying the same standards to exploited foreign seafarers and flag-of-convenience vessels. It bewilders me.

We also know the murky, murky system that comes with the flag-of-convenience vessels, where most of the time we don't even know who owns the ship. And yet this government tries to look us in the eye and tell us, 'We have to get harder on Australian seafarers'—what we've got left of them, plying our coastal trade—'we have to get harder on wharfies and we have to get harder on aviation workers, but don't look over here, because everything is mickey mouse; it's all tickety-boo.' That is because 24 hours to 48 hours earlier—I think it's about 500 nautical miles—the shipping company, not the shipmaster, sends an email to our authorities saying, 'These passports will match the people that are on the boat. Look at the photos. It's not a problem, absolutely.'

I talked in here earlier about Captain Salas and the shameful events that happened on the Sage Sagittarius. Our authorities, God bless them—and I'll stand up and I'll support those men and women in uniform—couldn't even find him. It took Owen Jacques, the journalist on the Sunshine Coast, to inform our authorities, when the trial was on. They didn't know where Captain Salas, the convicted gun-runner and money-launderer, was. Three of his sailors had died on board—two of them had gone overboard. He was actually plying our coastal trade. He was in Gladstone and he was leaving the next day.

I've clearly spoken about the disrespect that is shown—and I lay the blame at the feet of the government and the relevant ministers—to inquiries, to Senate procedures, to the Senate and to all the senators involved in the inquiries by people not giving the answers. Madam Acting Deputy President Kitching, you know they cannot use the excuse of national security. We offer them the opportunity to go in camera. It is now time to call them back. The minister needs to lead the charge and tell his subordinates, 'Start answering questions. Australians need to know.'