Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications, I present the committee’s Advisory report on the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Bill 2012, Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2012, Shipping Registration Amendment (Australian International Shipping Register) Bill 2012, Shipping Reform (Tax Incentives) Bill 2012 and Tax Laws Amendment (Shipping Reform) Bill 2012, incorporating a dissenting report together with the minutes of the proceedings.

In accordance with standing order 39(f) the report was made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—These bills form part of the federal government's Stronger Shipping for a Stronger Economy package and include tax reforms to promote global competitiveness of this industry, a new regulatory framework for coastal trade with a transparent licensing system, the establishment of an Australian International Shipping Register to encourage Australian businesses to participate in international trade and the establishment of a Maritime Workforce Development Forum to advance maritime skills and training priorities.

In 2008 the former Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government recommended the creation of a new policy framework for Australian coastal shipping in the Rebuilding Australia's coastal shipping industry report. In 2010 the Department of Infrastructure and Transport released a discussion paper for stakeholder comment on those reforms. And in late 2011 to early 2012 the Department of Infrastructure and Transport and the Department of the Treasury released exposure drafts of the bills in further consultation with industry on proposed reforms. As mentioned earlier, the five bills were introduced on 22 March, 2012.

The inquiry had to look at not all that had come before it but just at the legislation proposed before the House. We did not intend to, and I do not think it is sensible to, go over ground that had been well examined by previous inquiries. The submissions we sought were to the extent to which any concerns were raised regarding the consultation process as reflected in the legislation introduced. We received 31 submissions from shipping companies, petroleum companies, union representatives, industry representative bodies, the Department of Infrastructure and Transport and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The committee also sought a supplementary submission from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport based on the issues brought up in some of those submissions.

There were some general issues raised with the committee. These were mainly concerns regarding industry competitiveness and substitution, the limiting of foreign vessels on coastal trades and the level of consultation, which seems somewhat surprising given that this issue has been examined not just in inquiries, as I outlined before, but also originally in the Ships of shame report back in the early nineties. It is a little surprising that the issue of consultation was raised. Also raised were requests for a Productivity Commission inquiry.

There are five bills in this package. They are all significant, they are before the House and they are well canvassed by the report. Given that we intend to have a fairly dynamic debate in the House I do not propose to go over the content of all those bills. There is a minority report which gives some indication that all of these bills will be contested vigorously on a fairly partisan basis, so I am sure the House will hear all of the arguments more than once before the end of this process.

However, I acknowledge the goodwill of the deputy chair and opposition members of the committee. Despite their dissenting report they were cooperative and decent in the process and the procedures of the committee. It is always a pleasure to work with the deputy chair. I acknowledge the work of our predecessors in the 42nd Parliament for establishing the foundation for these Australian coastal shipping reforms.

We understand that it is not the committee's role in considering legislation to replicate the entire policy debate but simply to consider the effectiveness of the legislation in achieving the stated objectives and improving and establishing a vibrant Australian shipping industry. The committee outlines in the report some proposed areas of reform that could be included in regulations that are yet to be made public or considered in future reviews of the legislation. The committee's majority believes that the stated aims and reforms in these bills are desirable and that they are in the national interest, and we recommend that they be passed. I thank the House for its time.

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