Abbott Government News

The planned changes to Australia’s shipping laws would cause a 93% loss of Australian seafaring jobs a new report says. More than nine in 10 domestic seafarers will lose their jobs if the Abbott government's plan to relax shipping regulations passes Parliament, report written by the Australia Institute suggests. Less than 100 seafarers would remain in employment out of a current workforce of 1177, according to a report written by the Australia Institute, based on government documents supporting its Shipping Legislation Amendment Bill. Accoring to a report in the Guradian, the Coalition says changes would simplify shipping laws and cut costs for business but proposed legislation is headed for defeat in the Senate.

Australian-owned Bass Strait shipping operator SeaRoad Holdings has warned the Federal Government that its proposed Shipping Legislation Amendment Bill could jeopardise its $100-million investment on a second cargo vessel. A report in ABC quoted SeaRoad CEO Michael Easy, saying that the proposed legislation "is likely to severely impact our current ship replacement plans". The company said proposed changes to the legislation would only benefit foreign shipping interests. He said the removal of cabotage — the restrictions on foreign operators working coastal port-to-port business — would not bring benefits. Michael said his company was in danger of losing its bank finance for two cargo ships…

The Maritime Union of Australia is willing to use its power over the country's ports to disrupt a new free trade deal with China, reports AAP. The union movement’s opposition to the China Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) has ratcheted up since the agreement was signed in Canberra on June 17. MUA Queensland branch secretary Bob Carnegie says his union controls all imports and exports and they're prepared to act against the deal, which he says is aimed at "breaking the back of trade unionism". "All it needs is a phone call and the Maritime Union of Australia will stand by any worker, anywhere, who is fighting for a free and better Australia," he said. About 400 people took part in the protest, held outside a Senate Joint Standing Committee on Treaties hearing into the deal.

The South Australian Government has outlined three key points on shipbuilding it wants addressed by the Commonwealth's Defence White Paper next month. It wants (1) a minimum 70 per cent Australian worker participation in the building, similar to the Collins Class submarines, (2) a guarantee the future naval submarines and frigates will be built in Australia and (3) that the local industry will have a continuous building program. The Abbott Government has put the development of the next Australian submarine program through a competitive evaluation process. South Australia has demanded an overseas submarine building program be ruled out before the federal government releases its Defence white paper.

An influential Australian senator has asked Japan to buy components for its Soryu submarines from Australian companies to boost its chances of winning a major contract to supply Canberra with a fleet of submarines. Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon made the request to submarine builders Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd as well as government officials in a series of meetings in Japan this week. "What could be a game changer in their bid and in the relationship between the two countries in terms of defence cooperation is for components to be built in Australia," Xenophon said during an interview in Tokyo on Thursday.

Australian Defence Minister Kevin Andrews has requested Japan to participate in procedures to become Australia's partner in a project to jointly develop next-generation submarines. Andrews made the request in a telephone conversation with Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani who responded positively, Japan's Jiji Press news agency reported. In their telephone conversation, Andrews was quoted as telling Nakatani that Australia hopes to study the feasibility of the two countries jointly developing a submarine, as Japan has the necessary technology, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported. "Australia will initiate a procedure to choose a partner for the development, and asks Japan to consider joining the procedure," the minister said.

The Abbott Government is committed to a sustainable Australian naval shipbuilding industry. Sadly, years of neglect by the former Labor government has left shipbuilding in a precarious and uncertain state. Labor’s ‘valley of death’ – which will soon be upon us – could have been avoided. For all their posturing, in six years they did not commission a single naval vessel from an Australian yard. Decisions on the replacement frigates for the ANZAC fleet and new submarines to replace the Collins Class should have been taken during the previous Government’s time.

The Australian Navy’s future submarine project has been excluded from the country's shipbuilding review on advice from the Abbott government that the new fleet would be built offshore. The review’s final report, published on Thursday, contained some passing references to the future submarine project, including the fact the government had been looking at offshore construction of the fleet. "Australia's $40 billion future submarine project was left out of a key consultant's report on the local shipbuilding industry on the instructions of the Abbott government," says an observer. But consultants from the US-based military research think-tank Rand Corporation confirmed the government had set terms of reference that excluded the submarine issue…

All maritime unions – the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), The Australian Maritime Officers Union (AMOU) and Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE) – opposed the Abbott Government’s attempts to flood the offshore oil and gas sector with cheap foreign labour, says the Maritime Union of Australia. They consider that the Australian Parliament has made the right decision in disallowing this proposal. The Senate  voted to disallow the Federal Government from continuing to issue Maritime Crew (subclass 988) visas to foreign workers for the purposes of working in Australia’s offshore oil and gas industry. A petition calling…

The Australian Shipowners Association (ASA) informs it has urged the Abbott Government to be careful in its consideration of the Productivity Commission Report into Tasmanian shipping and freight, as there are still concerns about any recommendation to deregulate access to coastal shipping services. ASA explain that the retention of the Tasmanian Freight and Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Schemes is a sensible decision that has been well received by ASA. But there are still concerns about any recommendation to deregulate access to coastal shipping services as this will result in the loss of strategic skills in the Australian maritime workforce. “Retaining the Equalisation Schemes recognises that Bass Strait is part of the national highway and is an appropriate fiscal policy.

The Minister for Defence David Johnston has announced the first set of key initiatives in the Abbott Government’s long-term strategic naval plan. The Government is moving decisively to tackle Labor’s Defence mess and to ensure that Australia does not face major capability gaps as a result of Labor’s defence cuts and failure to take crucial decisions, including on maritime capability. As a result of our plan, Navy will be properly equipped in the years ahead and Australian industry will have the long-term strategic direction that has been lacking for the last six years. Further steps in our strategic naval plan will developed as part of the White Paper process. We are moving now to address the most urgent capability shortfalls created by Labor.

In the wake of the death this week of Anthony Attard, a father of three who was killed doing his job on board the Toll RoRo vessel Tasmanian Achiever, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) is gearing up for a massive escalation of the Waterfront Safety Campaign. Assistant National Secretary Warren Smith, National Safety Officer Matt Goodwin and Victorian Branch Assistant Secretary Robert Patchett spent several days on the job supporting and working with members in the aftermath of this tragedy. lack of a decent traffic management plan, lack of a dedicated spotter and flagman to coordinate the safe movement of people and vehicles on and off the vessel…

Trade association 'Shipping Australia' says it applauds the Abbott Government’s decision to return the temporary levy on shipping to its original (lower) level. The Government’s budget night announcement that it will return the Protection of the Sea Levy to its original level of 11.25 cents per net registered tonne has been enthusiastically welcomed by the shipping industry. “This decision rights a wrong that was perpetrated when the temporary levy remained in place after achieving its purpose back in 2012,” Shipping Australia chairman Ken Fitzpatrick said. “Shipping Australia has fought long and hard, repeatedly representing this matter to Government on behalf of the shipping industry and it has taken more than two years and a change of Government to see a fair result at last.