Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens are supporting this amendment from the Labor Party because we believe, like almost everybody in this place believes, that addressing the issue of serious crime is an incredibly important thing that we should focus on. We are supporting this amendment because, if you are concerned about addressing serious crime, it's important to look at where the problem is. I reiterate the comments made by Senator Keneally earlier on. Very clear evidence was given in the 2017 inquiry into flag-of-convenience shipping. Senator Keneally quoted this and I think it is worth quoting this again:

There are features of flag of convenience registration, regulation and practice that organized crime syndicates or terrorists may seek to exploit.

… factors that can make flag of convenience ships more attractive for use in illegal activity, including by organized crime or terrorist groups.

This means that flag of convenience ships may be used in a range of illegal activities including illegal exploitation of natural resources, illegal activity in protected areas, people smuggling and facilitating prohibited imports or exports.

We are being told that the whole purpose of this legislation that has been introduced—and I will quote the explanatory memorandum—is to 'reduce criminal influence at Australia's security controlled airports, security regulated ports, and security regulated offshore oil and gas facilities'. If that's what we're aiming to do then we need to be looking in the right place. It seems to us that increasing the difficulty of getting an MSIC or an ASIC is not going to address this purpose at all. In contrast to what the minister just said about this bill not doing any harm, it is going to do harm and put unnecessary, unreasonable limitations on people's ability to work at our airports and ports. It will do significant harm. It will continue the harm this government has been doing to our domestic shipping industry for the last seven years. At the same time as our domestic shipping industry is going down the gurgler we are doing nothing about dealing with the risks of criminal activity from flag-of-convenience shipping. We are having legislation introduced that is looking in entirely the wrong place.

Minister, the explanatory memorandum says that the aim is to 'reduce criminal influence at Australia's security controlled airports, security regulated ports, and security regulated offshore oil and gas facilities'. What evidence do you have that increasing the difficulty of workers being able to get an MSIC or an ASIC is going to achieve that purpose? For the life of me I cannot see that it is going to do that, given that we know that there is far greater risk of criminal activity through flag-of-convenience shipping.