Gillard Government News

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…

Western Australian owned international shipbuilding company Strategic Marine has been contracted to provide high-speed patrol vessels for the Australian Federal Police. The three 16 metre vessels will be manufactured for use by Indonesian authorities. Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O'Connor says the construction of three high-speed patrol boats for the Indonesian National Police is well underway, as part of support from the Gillard Government to help tackle people smuggling in the region.