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

Senator Stoker, I just want to clear a few things up. This is not something that I've just been asked to come down and have a chat about. I've actually been living and breathing this for many, many years, as many in this place would probably understand. For those who don't, I am the chair of the Rural, Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, which has been looking into this bill. We've been doing it for years. I think we've had five inquiries, and I must thank my colleagues in the Greens and on the crossbench, because when this bill was going to go through three weeks ago I actually went to the crossbenchers for support to continue. I thank Senator Hanson and Senator Roberts, I thank Senator Lambie, I thank Senator Patrick, I thank Senator Griff and of course I thank my colleagues in the Greens, through Senator Rice, who has been a stalwart on this bill from the time that it came up.

Not only that, Senator Rice has been a stalwart on the issues facing our shipping industry. Like myself and Senator Sheldon, Senator Rice has watched the demise of the Australian shipping industry through teary eyes. Through the years of Prime Minister Howard we used to have 170-odd ships. I know that's a bit of history going back there, but it wasn't that long ago. Now we're down to 13, and that's if we count the icebreaker down there—what's it called? The one that's being replaced and we're waiting for the replacement ship to come? Otherwise, we're talking about 12.

Let's talk about our Australian ships, just while I'm at it, to give some clarity here. We have the two gas buggies—and good on Woodside for continuing with the gas going out of Dampier to Japan and Korea. Those are Australian vessels, Australian flagged and Australian crewed. Let's talk about the six that are running to Tasmania—the passenger ships, the Toll ships and the sea freight ships. And we can talk about the old clunker boat—no, the clinker boat. Sorry about that, boys and girls on the old clinker boat. I did pass you recently in the Bass Strait; I was on the Toll ship. Sorry about that!

So it doesn't leave a lot of confidence in the crossbench, the Greens and myself that the government has the best interests of Australia's seafarers and our shipping industry front of mind, because they don't. But I do have to pull you up, Senator Stoker, when you talk about clear evidence given to the committee. I will clearly, clearly articulate a few things that led to the frustration we had when I approached the crossbenchers and the Greens for support to continue the inquiry because of the disrespect that was shown—as Senator Rice knows—to the Rural, Regional Affairs and Transport Committee. We had questions and we clearly and fairly sought answers to the questions about what the importance of this bill is, asking, 'Tell us how this bill is going to improve stopping the flow of illegal drugs coming into our nation.' As I've said very clearly a number of times, not only at Senate inquiries around this matter but to the Senate, the majority of the supply of illicit drugs—and I know that there are chemicals which make illicit drugs able to be purchased on our shores—are not coming in by hot air balloon. We are not seeing those coming across from Indonesia to our shores. They're certainly not being strapped to the legs of carrier pigeons. If they are, my goodness me, how big is the pigeon? I have one piece of evidence here, which I won't table, from as late as 12 March—what are we today; about the 16th or something?—that in the last couple of days 200 kilograms of cocaine was intercepted on a boat off Sydney. The majority of illegal drugs in this nation are not coming through our airports.

We all know—and I won't talk about what we've all done on previous committees and inquiries when we've gone backstage at Sydney or Melbourne airport, as we have, haven't we, Senator Rice? And I won't talk about the intelligence committees which we've all served on, because we turn our TVs on and see Border Security. We see those fine, diligent and hardworking men and women in border protection and immigration going through suitcases. They're probably finding the odd bit of fruit and veggies or some meat—and I won't talk about the other things we've found. So how is the majority of drugs coming in?

Listen to the government and to the ill-informed senators on the other side who are desperately trying to protect their minister. He doesn't really deserve any protection to be honest with you, but I understand how it works in this building: you're told to go down and do your duty. Do you seriously think that if we make it as hard as possible for a wharfie or a seafarer or someone working at the airport with their ASIC—and I know all about MSIC and ASIC. It was the first inquiry I did when I came here 15-odd years ago. Do we seriously think that these are the men and women who are importing and distributing the drugs? And I'll tell you about distribution. For God's sake, you know who the baddies are. You've got laws out there. Go into it. You cannot fool me for one minute.

Senator Sheldon, you would remember the disrespect the Senate was shown once again by the department of border protection and immigration. I don't blame the good folk there. The good man turned up in his uniform; he was summonsed. I'll tell you where I lay the blame; I lay the blame clearly at the feet of Minister Dutton. This is the same minister and the same secretary, Mr Pezzullo, from when I uncovered the fact that truck drivers were being exploited under the foreign visa system, on student visas. There is a common trend here. Are you seriously telling me that, if you make it as hard for possible for some decent working man or woman on the waterfront, who's doing the right thing day in and day out, you're going to combat the flow of illegal drugs into this area? Seriously, you should listen to what's stuck under your nose!

I'm going to help you out here, Senator Stoker, because I think you could be a very decent person, but you're getting fed the wrong information. Don't take that nonsense they've put in the bit of paper under your nose. We know what's going on in this nation. You have no idea. If you knew what was coming through—200 kilos! It's not an Australian mothership, because we damn well haven't got any out there. It's not an Australian crew. It's not Australian flagged. If you really want to address the issue of foreign drugs in this nation, can you seriously, in your heart of hearts, sit there and think that this is the bill that's going to fix it? It's not going to fix it, and I'll tell you why: because Minister Dutton in his office, all the boffins you've got there and all the pointy heads in the bureaucracy down here in Canberra at the department go, 'Oh my God, the drugs will stop because we're going to deny someone who may have a son who's been wayward, who's joined a motorcycle gang, his MSIC or his ASIC, and that'll stop the flow of drugs coming into this nation.' Come on, ladies and gentlemen! Please wake up. Is that your own evidence from your department down there?

I said, 'Do we actually have the checks and balances?' I can tell you, I don't have an MSIC and I've walked up the gangplanks and I've come down the gangplanks. 'Hello, boys and girls,' I've said as I've walked through security. 'No worries. I'm with him. I'm all right; he's got an MSIC too.' They say, 'Yeah, good to go.' They wouldn't know me from a bar of soap. When those seafarers come down the gangplank, I'm one who always stands up to look after foreign seafarers. But let's not fool ourselves. I'm going to have another 10 minutes when I talk about Captain Salas and the Sage Sagittarius, make no mistake about that, because I was the one who found that one out too.

'What's in your bag, mate?' Do you ask that? We asked the department officials, 'Do you know what's in the backpacks or suitcases of those foreign seafarers coming off these vessels?' No idea. It started off as crickets. 'Do you actually scan them like at the airport? Do they shuffle through security at the waterfront, where they strip off their belt and all that, and they go through, and the camera comes up, and there's a false alarm because they didn't take off their belt or they've left 10c in their pocket?' Zilch. Nothing. Not a clue. No idea. Is there any form of saying, 'I know the passport photo matches the face here for this Filipino or this Iranian'—and I'm not being prejudiced, because they are the majority of foreign seafarers being exploited around our coastline. 'Is that really you?' No idea. I asked them, 'Do you check this?' Do you know what the answer was—and I know you're going to have some fun here, Senator Sheldon: 'No, we don't have anyone. There's no-one on the port. We've got no idea.' This is before I even start with another 10 minutes about the temporary voyage permits—let me get going on that! Half the time, some of these ships don't even apply for a temporary voyage permit. We've got no idea. This is cuckoo land; this is crazy stuff.

I feel sorry for my colleagues across the chamber who are running Minister Dutton's line: 'I'm going to be tough as. I'm the ex-copper. I'll tell you what, we're going to stamp out drugs.' Oh, my goodness me! My question to you, Senator Stoker—I'm sorry you've got carriage of this; you're in the wrong place at the wrong time—is: do you honestly believe that this bill will stop the inflow of illicit drugs into this great nation via flags of convenience, foreign ships and exploited foreign seafarers?