Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens will be supporting this motion from Senator Sterle in relation to the Transport Security Amendment (Serious Crime) Bill. We think it's very appropriate that this legislation be sent off to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport committee for further consideration because there are so many unanswered questions about it. As it stands at the moment, from what is known, without further consideration and further discussion to amend it and make it a workable bit of legislation, there is this huge disparity between extra security controls being placed upon Australian workers and, in contrast, the security controls on foreign seafarers just not being there.

I think we've been having this debate the whole time that I've been in the Senate, 6½ years, and nothing has changed. There is a lot of control—appropriately, yes. Where we need to make sure that Australian workers aren't a security risk, it's appropriate to have those controls. But this legislation is increasing the controls, making it more difficult for Australian workers to actually be able to work in our ports and airports. At the same time, nothing is being done about the security risk of foreign seafarers.

Their risk to security, as I said in my speech in the second reading debate, is a big question mark, particularly because of the very poor conditions that the seafarers are working under on a lot of these ships. In terms of the pressure on them, there is the potential risk of them thinking that maybe they could get a bit of money on the side, maybe do something nefarious, because they get paid next to nothing, they have families at home that are struggling and they haven't been home for months, if not years. They are at prime risk of being susceptible to taking action that's not in Australia's interests and potentially being a security risk, yet this huge gaping hole in our security is just not being given the proper consideration that it needs by this government. Along with the whole issue of the demise of the Australian shipping industry, the increasing reliance on foreign owned ships and flag-of-convenient shipping, where you have workers who are being really dreadfully exploited, you have environmental standards going out the window. Yet the government has sat on its hands and we have had nothing that has progressed this issue any further the whole six years I've been here.