House debates Questions without Notice
Employment
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:15 pm
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement in Canning last week that claims made by cruise operator Bill Milby—that he was advised by departmental officials to sack his Australian workforce and replace them with a cheaper foreign crew—were 'just not true'. But, given departmental officials last night confirmed that they did provide this advice, will the Prime Minister now apologise to Mr Milby—who is sitting up here in the gallery—who was simply standing up for Australian jobs?
Opposition members: Hear, hear! Apologise!
Tony Smith Speaker
Members on my left will cease interjecting!
The member for Scullin is warned.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
2:16 pm
We are certainly standing up for the Australian shipping industry.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
We are certainly standing up for jobs in shipping. And the best way we can do that is by fixing the mess that Labor's legislation made to coastal shipping in this country.
Let me be absolutely crystal clear about the facts. Thanks to the changes that members opposite put in place when they were in government, the number of ships engaged in coastal shipping in this country halved.
Government members interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
There were 30 ships engaged in coastal shipping in 2006. Seven years later there were just 15. The number of ships halved because of the changes that members opposite made.
Bill Shorten Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is relevance, Mr Speaker. Will the Prime Minister just apologise to the man in the gallery for standing up for Aussie—
Tony Smith Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
There were 15 fewer ships plying our coastal routes because of members opposite. I want to see those ships back. That is the best thing I can do for jobs in coastal shipping. Now—
Opposition members interjecting—
If they do not want the answer—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
I am concerned he is misleading the House.
Tony Smith Speaker
The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. That is a frivolous point of order.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Under members opposite, the share of Australia's freight task carried by shipping dropped from 27 per cent to 17 per cent. That is what Labor's economic vandalism did to coastal shipping in Australia. I will tell you what else Labor's economic vandalism did to coastal shipping in Australia: it raised costs by over 60 per cent, not just destroying jobs in shipping but destroying jobs on land as well.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
It was under your government—
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
It was under you!
Tony Smith Speaker
The Leader of the House and the member for Grayndler!
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
As to the claim that members of the opposite have been making, I am quoting from the executive director of surface transport policy, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, who said yesterday:
I did not say to Mr Milby that he should sack his crew and that he should reflag his vessel.
This is a direct denial from the relevant official against the relevant claim made by members opposite, so members opposite should just stop verballing people. They should finally tell the truth. Tell the truth, stop verballing people, and agree to our changes which will restore efficiency and employment in the Australian coastal shipping trade.