CANBERRA: The chairman of an Australian shipping company and a longtime member of the Liberal party has slammed the Coalition’s planned changes to shipping laws as directly contradicting Tony Abbott’s policy focus of “jobs and growth”.
Peter Cadwallader, chairman of the Australian-owned Intercontinental Shipping Group (ISG), said the laws – which wind back wage protections and preferences for Australian crews – would make his company “completely uncompetitive” and urged the government to scrap the changes.
Cadwallader said he had been a member of the Liberal Party for nearly 50 years and warned the government that Australian jobs and tax revenue were at stake. He urged the government to scrap the bill.
He told Guardian Australia he would directly lobby his local MP, Tony Abbott, to drop the changes after he delivered a scathing submission to the Senate committee on rural, regional affairs and transport, which is examining the legislation.
His company is the owner of bulk carrier ICS Silver Lining which provides freight services to major mineral processing companies, among others, and operates all year around the Australian coast.
The company employs 40 people, including 30 Australians and 10 international staff, all of whom pay Australian income tax. ISC employs an Australian master and chief officer and the rest of the crew are international but paid full Australian award wages.
The jobs, economic income and consumption expenditure and tax revenue of 40 people will be lost to Australia,” Cadwallader said in his submission.
As a long time member of the Liberal party (nearly 50 years), I am aware that the focus of Coalition policy is jobs and growth. Both of these objectives will be sacrificed by this bill in direct contradiction of Coalition policy.”
