Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

I hear the interjection. That's all well and good. But this is about making sure that Australia gets its share of the work involved when those big ships—and, yes, I agree they are huge vessels—dock. The Greens would have us send it all offshore—'Let's send all our manufacturing offshore because of the too-high energy costs,' which are brought about by their dodgy deals with the government.

This legislation makes sure that, when boats need to dock, they can do so in Australia. They can do so and spend much of that money on replenishing food—food that is grown organically, food that is grown by workers who are paid the right rates and food that is grown sustainably. The member wants to see all those things go to some overseas nation. That is going to happen right here in Australia. When the sides of the ship need the barnacles removed, that's going to happen in Australia. The people who are going to remove those shellfish and other things that have attached themselves to the side of the boat will be paid the right wages right here in Australia. When they need other things that only Australia can supply, that will happen right here on our shores.

The Greens's way is to send everything offshore. They don't care if it's going to go to Singapore, New Zealand or elsewhere in the Pacific, but we do, and I'm glad that Labor also does. This is why the Special Recreational Vessels Amendment Bill 2023 needs to be supported. This is why the legislation is so important. It's not about billionaires; it's about making sure that Australia's tourist economy and Australia's worker economy get a part of the action.

The act allows foreign special recreational vessels, otherwise known as superyachts, to be able to operate in Australia and to be made available for hire or charter. Again, that improves our tourism. If people want to have that experience, they can. It's not just, as the member for Ryan would have you believe, only billionaires, only people who are well connected, who may seek entry onto one of these vessels. She mentioned one party in the coalition. Well, there's more than just one party in the coalition. There is more than just the Liberals. There is also the Nationals. Whilst I appreciate my landlocked electorate is a long way from the Great Barrier Reef, this is going to help Australia, and the Nationals always support legislation that helps our nation, that is in the national interest.

The former coalition government introduced the Special Recreational Vessels Act 2019 to allow foreign-flagged superyachts to opt into the regulatory regime under the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012 and to apply for temporary licences enabling them to offer charter services in Australia. I am a little bit disappointed that it is left up to the Greens to speak on this. I am disappointed that the Labor members are not listed. But it doesn't really surprise me. When I introduced this legislation back in 2019, the now Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government spoke on it, as the shadow infrastructure minister. But, as I rose to give the second reading speech, what do you think the member for Ballarat did? She called a quorum. I know those opposite think we're the only ones who do that sort of caper, who try to disrupt the parliamentary procedure and protocols, but you were very good at it for the nine years that we were in government. If it meant that much to those opposite, why haven't they got speakers on this bill? If workers' rights are so important, as the member for Ryan points out, if environmental concerns are so important, as the Greens member points out, if all of those issues are so important with your little love boat, your little love nest, why aren't you speaking on the bill? Why aren't you going off onto a little sunset romantic cruise with the member for Ryan? The question deserves to be answered, but we hear crickets.

Anyway, I digress. Interestingly enough, when the member for Ballarat did rise to speak back in 2019, she said:

Labor will always back improving job opportunities, particularly in our regions—

Would you believe, Member for Eden-Monaro?—

nevertheless, Labor's scrutiny of the bill is very important.

Apparently it was important then. It's not now. They're just putting it through and leaving the Nationals and the Greens to speak on it, although I must admit the member for Forde gave an excellent speech earlier on this piece of legislation. The member for Ballarat pointed out in 2019:

There is concern amongst some existing operators of Australian owned tourism vessels that temporary licences could be a backdoor mechanism to allow foreign-flagged superyachts to spend considerable time in Australia …

Heaven forbid! That's what we want them to do, because we want them to come here and spend money—money that would otherwise go to Singapore, New Zealand or elsewhere across the world. We want them to come here to Australia. We want them to come to shipyards in Australia and to spend their money here.

The Olympics are coming up. The Paralympics are coming up. This is what makes it so important. Not only do we need to extend this to 2025; it needs to be then extended again after this extension that we're going to get through the House. I note that the Greens will probably oppose it. They oppose everything. We saw a while ago in the House of Representatives that they were getting beaten 90-something to two or three—and that's what should happen. The Greens just want to hold up this legislation because it's good legislation. That's what the Greens do. I appreciate that, in a democracy, we need people with differing and divergent views, and good luck to the member for Ryan for expressing one. But I don't like to see work that should be done in Australia pushed offshore. She points out that workers should be paid a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. I agree with her absolutely. That's why people who will be working on the superyachts, when they arrive on Australia shores, will be paid a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.

Prior to the act I introduced in 2019 there was no mechanism by which foreign superyachts could be offered for hire or charter services in Australian waters as recreational vehicles, which were not covered by the coastal trading act. We were missing out on all of that business; we were missing out on all of that money. This was not a good thing.

See this speech in context