Anthony Albanese promises ‘strategic fleet’ for emergencies

Labor would establish an Australian-flagged ‘strategic fleet’ of up to 12 ships to ensure access to fuel, essential imports in event of conflict.

Anthony Albanese has warned against the replacement of Australian-flagged ships and crews with foreign vessels and cheaper workers from overseas. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Anthony Albanese will pledge to establish an Australian-flagged “strategic fleet” of up to 12 ships to ensure the nation has access to fuel supplies and other essential imports in the event of a natural disaster or international conflict.

The federal Opposition Leader has warned against the replacement of Australian-flagged ships and crews with foreign vessels and cheaper workers from overseas.

Shipping accounts for 99 per cent of Australia’s imports and exports of goods including fuel, but less than 1 per cent of Australian seaborne trade.

The announcement from Mr Albanese comes as Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton elevate national security as a key issue ahead of the 2022 election following a deepening of the defence relationship with the US and UK through the trilateral AUKUS arrangement.

It comes during a visit by Mr Albanese to the crucial NSW Hunter region where the Opposition Leader on Sunday announced that a line from Newcastle to the Sydney CBD would be a priority for a future Labor government and the first stage of a high-speed rail network down the east coast.

The line would track through or close by seats which could come into play at the election including the seat of Robertson held by the Liberals on less than 5 per cent and the very marginal seat of Dobell held by Labor on less than 2 per cent.

Veteran Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon is also vacating the seat of Hunter where he suffered a swing against him of nearly 10 per cent at the 2019 poll amid concerns over the impact of Labor’s climate policy on blue collar and resource workers.

Mr Albanese will on Monday announce in Newcastle that a future Labor government will create a taskforce to provide advice on the establishment of the fleet which would be privately owned and would operate on a commercial basis.

The vessels would be available for use by the Australian Defence Force in times of national crisis, including in responding to natural disasters or in times of war.

Representatives from the shipping industry, major charterers, unions, Australian business and the Department of Defence would be given positions on the taskforce.

Opposition infrastructure and transport spokeswoman Catherine King said that by building a strategic fleet, Labor would “ensure that Australians can always rely on sufficient quantities of fuel and other essential imports reaching our shores”.

“While the taskforce will ultimately determine the size of the fleet needed, it will likely be up to a dozen ships including tankers, cargo, container and roll-on-roll-off vessels,” she said.

“Rebuilding our strategic fleet will create Australian jobs, grow our maritime industries and help defend our national security.”

“Our national security and economic sovereignty depend on our ability to stand on our own two feet as a nation.

“We cannot always be dependent on foreign nations or companies to deliver the urgent supplies of fuel or other essentials that we need.

“This can be fine when times are good, but when there is a global crisis or conflict we will be left in the lurch.”

The Australian revealed in 2021 that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had faced demands from his own MPs to develop an Australian-flagged merchant fleet of up to 12 ships, with Liberal MP Russell Broadbent warning the nation risked “sleepwalking to chaos and further vulnerability”.

Mr Broadbent said this vulnerability had been demonstrated when the Norwegian-flagged supply vessel Far Saracen was the first to respond to an SOS call and deliver supplies – including food, water and diesel for power generators – to help Australians stranded on the beach at Mallacoota in eastern Victoria during the Black Summer bushfires.

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten has also backed plans to build an Australian fleet, noting that more ships were sunk on the Australian station during World War II than were now registered to Australia.

The Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers has been leading the charge for an Australian “security fleet” to underpin fuel supplies through the establishment of a group of tanker ships to be owned and operated by Australian companies.

Mr Albanese will also move to overhaul the Australian shipping industry’s regulatory framework.

On high speed rail, Mr Albanese said Labor would make a $500m down payment in its first budget to acquire a corridor.

He said a new High-Speed Rail Authority would make the Sydney to Newcastle line its key priority. “Faster rail would see travel times from Newcastle to Sydney cut to just two hours,” he said. “And once high-speed rail is up and running, this journey would take only 45 minutes.

“You’ll be able to jump on the train at 6.30pm and be at Sydney Olympic Park for the start of the (NRL) Knights game.” Present train travelling time between Newcastle and the Sydney CBD is about two hours and 45 minutes.