Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I table a ministerial statement on the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Aviation Security in Tokyo, Japan.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate take note of the statement.

The ministerial statement is on the important issue of aviation security. It is important because so much of the terrorism in the skies these days is international in its context and so countries must get together from time to time to talk about the way in which they can cooperate to address this menace. The statement by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government relates to the conference in Japan, led by the Japanese who have shown real leadership on aviation security. Since 11 September 2001, there have been significant changes in Australia’s approach to issues of aviation security. Initiatives of the previous government—like strengthening cockpit doors on all aircraft, a lot of work on tightening passenger carry-on baggage screening at all airports with jet operations, introducing explosive tracer detection at domestic and international screening airports and providing an additional Australian protective services officer at airports around Australia—have been embarked upon. Indeed, we also initiated the use of armed air security officers on domestic flights and on certain international flights.

Well ahead of the organisation’s international civil aviation deadline, we introduced 100 per cent checked bag screening on all international services. Between 2001 and 2007, we spent something like $500 million on aviation security, with $82 million specifically going towards regional aviation. While that was the taxpayers’ contribution, the airlines themselves made a significant financial investment in that. The travelling public had to wear the annoyance at times associated with that increased security.

In his statement, the minister made reference to a number of new initiatives that the incoming Labor government have taken, such as expanding the cooperative inspections and security assessments at last ports of call. Work that Australia has done in helping to improve security systems in other countries is perhaps one of the most important ways in which Australia can help keep our skies safe. I welcome the fact that the government intends to do that work and indeed intends to place Office of Transport Security people at overseas ports.

It is intended that there will be increased policing and the strengthening of security procedures at airports. Body scanners will be introduced progressively at screening points servicing international passengers by next year. The issue of body securities has caused to be raised significant privacy issues, but we have all accepted that some compromise to our privacy must be made in the interests of security. Most of us live with that.

The minister also referred to an extension to screening measures to approximately 20 airports in regional Australia that have flights by Q400 aircraft. This is a significant step forward, and raises some quite important issues. The huge cost of the installation of security at those 20 airports in regional Australia is going to be very difficult for many of those regional airports to cover. I welcome the fact that the government intends to provide $32 million to assist with the purchase of the necessary equipment. But there is no way in the world that that funding is going to meet anything like the full cost for the airports.

Many of the airports are very basic. Some of them will have to be completely rebuilt because there is no capacity at most of these regional airports. The ones that are going to come under these new arrangements will need to separate and screen passengers from other passengers and to provide secure areas to deal with baggage. In many of these airports, you simply collect your baggage under a tree outside what we would call the airport building. So there is going to be very substantial cost. Some of these airports only have two or three services a week, and they sometimes carry only 50 passengers a week. You simply cannot justify a multimillion terminal building for 50 passengers a week.

Even if the government gives them a free terminal building, they still will have operational costs, such as six to eight people to run the X-ray equipment and explosive detection equipment and to check baggage that is going on board the aircraft. So you need six to eight people every time the flight arrives. Under the government’s new industrial relations scheme, of course, it will take four hours at a time for all of these people to load 10 to 12 passengers at the various airports, because you cannot just employ them for the hour or hour and a half; you have to employ them for four hours, thus adding to the cost for these airports—many of which are run by local government.

My concern is that many of these places that currently have a service in remote Australia will simply say, ‘We can’t afford to keep it going,’ and they will shut down the air service. That will mean that the people who are the ones who most need air transport and air services are not going to have them, because the airports will not be able to remain operational. This is a real concern that the government must address.

At the same time as these new arrangements are coming in, the government is making significant cuts in areas of aviation security. There was an AFP report at the same conference that the minister went to and which he reported on today which said that there were calls at the conference for more to be done on sky marshals or air security officers. The minister did not mention that in his statement, but news reports of the conference did refer to that. The government has provided no money in the future for the sky marshal program. There has been no commitment by the government to the sky marshal program, so it would seem that that is going to phase out.

Furthermore, the government has cut $58 million out of the Customs program, which means that 4.7 million fewer consignments arriving in Australia by air are being inspected by Customs officer than was the case previously. And 125 quarantine officers have been sacked. All these sorts of things demonstrate that on one hand the government is talking about tougher security, which is essential in this day and age, but on the other hand they are cutting back on some of the more important initiatives, such as inspecting air cargo and the issues relating to sky marshals. If those things are not addressed, it is going to make our skies less safe. If the government wants to be taken seriously on aviation security, it really needs to address some of the issues that I have mentioned.

Question agreed to.