Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was amazed last week to hear the Prime Minister, at a doorstop interview in Armadale in the seat of Canning, call a cruise ship operator based in Broome a liar. When asked about a report that a federal bureaucrat advised a Broome cruise ship owner to sack his local crew and employ people from overseas, the Prime Minister responded by saying, 'Well, it's just not true. It's just not true,' thereby labelling Mr Bill Milby a liar.

Mr Milby was concerned about the Abbott government's proposed shipping changes, which, if passed by this parliament, would remove Australian flags from the back of ships, sacking Australian seafarers from good jobs with good pay and replacing them with cheap foreign labour. Mr Milby employs 60 Australian staff, living in Broome and Perth. Mr Milby was very concerned that if this bill passed it would signal the end of his business, North Star Cruises. Mr Milby spoke to the Deputy PM, Warren Truss, warning him that changes to the Shipping Act would put North Star out of business. Mr Milby was referred by the Deputy PM to the Department of Infrastructure, where he met with officials on two occasions.

In evidence to a Senate inquiry Mr Milby said that he was told at these meetings that he should replace his 60 true north Australian crew with foreigners. These officials have now confirmed, through the Senate inquiry, that they did indeed give this advice to Mr Milby.

So far we have had the Prime Minister call out Mr Milby as a liar and the Deputy Prime Minister mislead parliament when, on Monday, he claimed the advice about foreign workers was not given. And today Mr Truss went further. For a government which is supposedly on about jobs and growth, Mr Truss described the job losses and job security in the shipping industry as 'trivial issues'.

Sixty Australians losing their jobs on the advice of the government and an operator going out of business is far from trivial. I am sure all Western Australians find these comments disgraceful, particularly given the Prime Minister made these comments whilst campaigning in the seat of Canning on jobs and growth. How can voters in Canning believe anything Mr Abbott says when he is prepared to call a Western Australian business owner a liar?

The Prime Minister and his deputy owe Mr Milby a sincere apology. Mr Milby's reputation has been trampled by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister because they failed to tell the truth. Imagine how you would feel if the Prime Minister of the country, at a media event, described you as not telling the truth. We have this big, giant Prime Minister against a Western Australian who is trying to run a business, who employs Australians and who was told by the very same government to just get rid of them and get cheap foreigners in.

It is shameful that any government would openly canvass removing the Australian flag from the back of ships and raise the white flag on Australian seafaring jobs. It is in our national economic, environmental and security interests to retain a viable shipping industry—good jobs backed by a strong union in the MUA.

It is now six days since the Prime Minister said: 'Well, it's just not true. It's just not true.' The truth is well and truly out there. How much longer will Mr Milby have to wait for an apology from the Prime Minister and, indeed, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Warren Truss? How much longer do they have to wait? I tell you, as a Western Australian who is proud to represent Australian jobs and stick up for Western Australian workers, that I am counting the days. Today it is six days since the Prime Minister said that, so let's see if there is an apology forthcoming tomorrow. It should not be only a verbal apology; he should also take the time to write to Mr Milby, because he has certainly trashed his reputation. An Australian employing Australians is something that everybody in this place should be proud of and we should all applaud—not trample Mr Milby's reputation into the dirt.