Budget Endangers Maritime Security

Date: 14 May 2003

Pumping millions into customs and port security is no safeguard for our maritime borders so long as there is no restriction on cut rate foreign flag shipping plying our coastal trade, MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin announced today.

Flag of Convenience shipping is linked with terrorism, fraud, and drug-running, yet this budget the Government has refused to do anything to keep them off our coastline. The permit security system, which allows foreign vessels to work in the Australian domestic transport industry, remains open to wholesale abuse.

"It's a farce," said Crumlin. "Anyone can get a permit to ship in guest workers without visas to ply our coast for months at a time, with little or no checks. The Federal Government handed out more than 700 permits last year for foreign ships and seafarers to work in the domestic transport industry. It's open slather. The ships and crews do not have to meet the rigorous standards applying to Australian shipping. They pay no tax and avoid Australian laws. Fraudulent seafarers certification is rampant.

The contrasts are as stark as they are ridiculous. On the one hand the Government will spend millions to secure our ports, but on the other hand they are encouraging the FOC system, which provides a portal for drugs, guns and people smuggling into the country.

Support for the FOC system goes to the highest level in the land, with the federal government backing foreign operators CSL in their appeal to the High Court over a Commission ruling that their vessels come under the Australian award.

In the US and Europe governments are more and more excluding FOC vessels and putting money into their merchant marine to protect their coastline. The US has refused any foreign flag vessel to trade on its coast citing security as the big issue - even during last year's port lockout and container backlog. In addition they have invested $10 billion in US merchant marine shipbuilding.

Yet this government is investing nothing in Australian shipping.

Furthermore it's going to be the states and industry players, which will have to bear the brunt of the new security costs. So while the Federal government has handballed responsibility for port security to the states, they allow a security risk at the federal level through the permit system.

For further information

Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://www.mua.org.au/news/general/budget03.html

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