❓ WA Minister MacTiernan criticises the federal government's policy favouring foreign shipping, arguing it undermines national security by allowing unchecked entry of foreign seafarers. She highlights the disparity between airport security and maritime security.
AnsweredQoN 142Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the minister reveal the security implications of the federal Government’s policy of favouring foreign shipping over Australian shipping? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question. The member for Peel is a strong supporter of Australian industry, particularly western shipping, as is his comrade next to him. Mr R.F. Johnson: Comrade? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for his question. The member for Peel is a strong supporter of Australian industry, particularly western shipping, as is his comrade next to him. Mr R.F. Johnson: Comrade? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
I thank the member for his question. The member for Peel is a strong supporter of Australian industry, particularly western shipping, as is his comrade next to him. Mr R.F. Johnson: Comrade? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr R.F. Johnson: Comrade? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for his question. The member for Peel is a strong supporter of Australian industry, particularly western shipping, as is his comrade next to him. Mr R.F. Johnson: Comrade? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
I thank the member for his question. The member for Peel is a strong supporter of Australian industry, particularly western shipping, as is his comrade next to him. Mr R.F. Johnson: Comrade? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr R.F. Johnson: Comrade? Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: Comrade. It is important to understand just how the antipathy of the federal Government, particularly the National Party federal Minister for Transport, to an Australian shipping industry is undermining the security of Australia. An extraordinary situation exists in which the National Party Minister for Transport has been telling state ministers that cycle lockers can no longer be on our railway stations because they could become terrorist targets. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2002-03 alone, 6 000 foreign sailors entered this jurisdiction without any assessment whatsoever to undertake Australian coastal shipping trade. That is extraordinary. Since the federal coalition Government has been in power, the amount of our coastal trade undertaken by foreign vessels has increased massively. As a result, single voyage permits have increased approximately 300 per cent in relation to the amount of shipping that has been dealt with by foreign ships. This has a real consequence. It means that each year thousands of foreign seafarers come into this jurisdiction without a single control. Airport security officers go to a great deal of trouble to screen people, but what are we doing on our oceans? We are allowing people in - often from what is described as the “axis of evil” by the President of the United States or the “arc of uncertainty” by the federal Government - Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr M.G. House: Western Australia contracts those services in Western Australia. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: We do not have a service. Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr M.G. House interjected. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: This is quite extraordinary. Most people do not understand this. Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr M.G. House: You are right - you don’t understand it. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: That is why the member for Stirling is revealing his ignorance. It is extraordinary. People who want to come into Australian waters on a foreign vessel require a passport issued at the country of origin, be it Iraq or Iran, and only a special permit visa, which is issued automatically. The people concerned do not have to apply for them, so we have no idea who is coming into the country. When visas are issued, no checking is done whatsoever. We are basically relying on countries such as Panama and Libya, the pre-eminent countries under which these ships are licensed, to secure our future. We are relying on Panama and Libya to have checked the credentials and bona fides of the people who are being allowed to come into this country. Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Mr E.S. Ripper: It sounds like a real failure of border protection. Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: It makes an absolute joke of our visa system. As I say, in one quarter alone, six thousand foreign seafarers entered this country without a single check of their suitability to do so.
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