Member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon has spoken in Parliament against proposed legislation to deregulates Australian domestic shipping by removing preference for Australian-flagged and crewed ships operating around the Australian coast.
The Shipping Legislation Bill 2015 proposes to introduce a system granting access to ships of any nationality to work the Australian coast for a twelve month period, and very significantly extends the period of exemption from domestic wage standards for foreign ships.
,^^^,THE HON WARREN SNOWDON MP
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR NORTHERN AUSTRALIA
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR EXTERNAL TERRITORIES
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LINGIARI
WORK CHOICES ON WATER
Member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon has spoken in Parliament against proposed legislation to deregulates Australian domestic shipping by removing preference for Australian-flagged and crewed ships operating around the Australian coast.
The Shipping Legislation Bill 2015 proposes to introduce a system granting access to ships of any nationality to work the Australian coast for a twelve month period, and very significantly extends the period of exemption from domestic wage standards for foreign ships.
Mr Snowdon noted:
Australia is an island nation, dependent on shipping for 99% of its trade.
Australia has one of the longest coastlines in the world, and the fifth largest shipping task of any nation.
Ten percent of the worlds trade by weight is carried by ship to or from Australia
Mr Snowdon described the legislation as, Workchoices on Water.
The bill seeks to repeal Labor’s 2012 coastal trading laws, which were put in place as part of a broader package of taxation, regulatory and work-skills measures aimed at revitalising the Australian shipping industry.
All Australian flagged vessels are subject to stringent Australian standards of safety, environmental compliance, taxation and industrial relations, both here and on the open sea. Importantly, these are Australian standards. They are what we expect of Australians who work onshore, but now we are saying we do not expect these same standards to apply to Australians who work on vessels.
It is in Australias national economic, environmental and security interest to have a viable shipping industry
There are 10,000 people who work in the Australian shipping industry having the right to retain their jobs in that industry and not be exposed to vessels which will undercut their capacity to get jobs.
If you seek to move freight by road in this nation, the truck driver is paid Australian-level wages and operates under Australian workplace health and safety rules. If you seek to move freight by rail, the train driver is paid and required to operate in accordance with Australian law. The situation should be no different on the blue highway. Mr Snowdon said.
TUESDAY 13, OCTOBER 2015
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