Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I never said there was. Did I ever say there was a requirement for every Australian port worker to hold an MSIC? Of course not. The minister came in late to this. I will forgive her for that misstatement because she is new to this debate; she was not at the table yesterday.

I'd like to flag for the minister that the Panama flagged Glorious Plumeria, carrying woodchips, arrived at Corio Quay in Geelong on Friday. Yesterday Senator Seselja confirmed that the Geelong port is a secure zone and that all people in the zone are required to have an MSIC or be escorted by an officer who has an MSIC. That is the advice we received from Senator Seselja yesterday. If the government needs to correct that advice, I'd be happy to hear it.

The Glorious Plumeria was docked about 500 metres from the port's main security station. At approximately 2 am on Sunday 13 June, two sailors, who have only been described in media reports as 'Asian', reportedly crept at pace down a gangway and a set of stairs before disappearing into the night. This is on Sunday 13 June, a few days ago—not last year and not in 2016 but a couple of days ago. After that, it's speculated these two sailors jumped onto the beach and escaped along the foreshore or scaled a standard barbed wire fence to make their getaway. At the time the Australian Border Force did not alert the local community.

I understand the Australian Border Force took 19 hours to respond to questions from the Geelong Advertiser but refused to answer these questions. I'm advised the ABF only responded with:

The Australian Border Force (ABF) is aware of two foreign nationals who absconded from a commercial vessel that arrived in North Geelong port on Friday—

11 June 2021. The ABF said they were 'closely working with state and federal authorities'. The ABF has not provided any updates via Twitter or on its media release. This goes to the very point that the opposition and crossbench have been arguing—that the checks and the security arrangements, when it comes to foreign crew at our maritime ports, are not sufficient. Yesterday Minister Cash and Minister Seselja both repeatedly claimed that foreign crew did not require additional security checks, because they would always be under constant supervision while in port. Senator Cash said:

Maritime crew visa holders who do not hold an MSIC are required to be escorted and monitored by an MSIC holder at all times whilst in a restricted zone of a seaport.

Senator Seselja said:

An MCV check is tailored to a temporary visa for entering Australia; the ASIC-MSIC checks are more detailed assessments of people with an ongoing need for unsupervised access to the secure areas of Australia's ports and airports.

Yet, just a few days ago, we had two foreign crew absconding, and it seems the ABF don't know where they are, what's happening or how it happened. So my first question to the minister is: who are the men that the Australian Border Force are now searching for?