PAUL ZALAI - Given that many Australian businesses are calling for coastal shipping reform, is that an area that Labor is willing to revisit? 

BILL SHORTEN - Shipping is a smart industry for Australia, it's economically efficient in terms of fuel, in terms of climate change, in terms of congestion.  I've consistently said that I think we need to address the decline of Australian-flagged vessels.

Over the past 30 years the number of Australian flagged vessel operating internationally has fallen from 100 to 13. There's a significant loss in jobs and skills that comes with this decline. That's why in late 2018, Labor successfully moved to establish a Senate inquiry into Australian shipping to look at the ongoing decline of Australia's maritime industry.
 
In mid-2012, the then Labor Government announced a reform package to revive and revitalise shipping, including tax concessions and training assistance. This package followed extensive consultation with industry and unions.
 
Unfortunately, this work was abandoned by the Liberals in 2013, pushing changes that would have decimated the domestic shipping industry by enabling foreign vessels paying crews third world wages to compete with Australian vessels paying their crews Australian-level wages.
 
The Senate rightly rejected this legislation, but since then, the Government has allowed the industry to simply drift. We're an island nation, it's only common sense to maintain a vibrant maritime industry. We rely on shipping for over 95 per cent of imports and export