AWU secretary Paul Howes is treating his union members dishonestly by refusing to fight Julia Gillard’s carbon tax and instead blaming interest rates for the demise of the steel and manufacturing industry.

A year ago, I applauded Paul Howes for standing up for the rights of steel workers and manufacturers in Australia when he said that if one job was lost as a result of the carbon tax he would not support it.

Today, Mr Howes has admitted that the steel and manufacturing industry will indeed suffer massive job losses, and that Australia could even see the demise of these industries altogether.

However, instead of honouring his promise, Mr Howes has instead bent his knee to the Labor government and the Greens. He has chosen to use the excuse of the rising dollar and interest rates to explain why so many jobs will be lost in the steel and manufacturing industry.

This is rubbish. The high dollar does have an effect, but the real reason so many jobs will be lost will be the carbon tax, and Mr Howes knows it.

The steel industry is important for Australia. Around 20,000 workers are employed between BlueScope Steel and OneSteel.

It was initially predicted that adding a $8 per tonne carbon tax on $7.5 million tonnes of steel production would add another $60 million loss to the bottom line of both of these steel manufacturers. Now that the carbon price is set at $23 dollars a tonne, the effects are going to be much worse.

Both of these companies were under the pump last year and showed big losses. BlueScope Steel recorded a loss of $55 million in the last half year, and share prices have gone from $12 in 2007 to around 40 cents today. OneSteel is not much better with its current share price of only $1.10.

It’s not just the steel industry that will be affected by the carbon tax. It’s clear that more pressure from a carbon tax will cost jobs in the cement, aluminum, and LNG industries.

The 10 million tonne a year cement industry faces an initial $4 per tonne tax rising to $11.50 per tonne in 2020. The AWU represents many of the 1,800 workers in this $2.14 billion industry.

Instead of fighting the real source of the problem, the carbon tax, Mr Howes has chosen to blame factors that are harder to control, such as the rising dollar, to explain why so many AWU members will be out of a job, and why industry in Australia will die a slow death.

Even Minister Greg Combet has rebuffed Mr Howe’s remarks, saying that it’s not the union’s place to go around dictating what levels interest rates should be set at.

Mr Howes should stand up and state what the real problem is instead of using scapegoats. The real problem is the carbon tax. The carbon tax can be done away with and the problem can be fixed.

ENDS

For all of Bob Katter’s protestations on election night, the reality is that his party won one seat and his influence in the Queensland Government will be zero, Senator Boswell said.

Katter’s Australian Party retained Dalrymple and won Mount Isa, but lost their parliamentary leader, Aidan McLindon in Beaudesert. Their star candidate in Nanango, Carl Rackemann was soundly beaten and the KAP probably cost the LNP the seat of Mulgrave.

KAP will now have two seats in the new Queensland Parliament; compare this to One Nation, who in 1998 gained 11 new seats and 22% of the vote and all of those members are now history.

Whilst we need to give Katter some credit for the 11.6% of the vote his party got on Saturday, outside Kennedy the reality is most of it came from Labor. We need to put it all in perspective, the retention of one seat and a win in Mount Isa is hardly the outstanding electoral wave that Bob Katter would have us all believe.

Time for a reality check and a cold shower Bob, the KAP is not the third major political force in Australian politics.

ENDS

The proposed referral of the Marine Bioregional Plan to the Rural and Regional Affairs Senate Committee has been put on the Senate notice paper, but the final vote will be delayed until a later date, Senator Boswell said today.

He said that neither Labor nor the Greens were prepared to support the Marine Bioregional Plan’s referral to the Senate Committee. He stated that the referral would have been defeated if the vote had taken place today.

“This referral is so important for both recreational and professional fisherman that the organisations representing them should have the opportunity to tell the Minister and their local members that they want a Senate inquiry. An inquiry would allow them to express their concerns and receive more information from bureaucrats and the Government,” Senator Boswell said.

He said a Senate inquiry was vital because there is no legislation required to declare the marine bioregional parks, which can be finalised with the stroke of a pen. He highlighted the effects of the Marine Bioregional Plan, which would completely ban trawling, displace fishing boats and trawlers, and result in a buy-out of licences and boats.

“Fishermen, both recreational and professional, have been left in the dark. Because no legislation is needed to declare the marine parks, there is no Committee stage on a bill during which information would be made available to the public.

“It is vital that fishers everywhere push the Government for a Senate inquiry to go ahead. The Senate Committee is the only option that will allow them to delve into the impact and consequences of the marine bioregions that encompass Australia, and take up 1.4 million square kilometres and 24% of the world’s total marine protected estate.

“By refusing to support a Senate inquiry into the marine bioregions, any promise of an open and transparent government has been thrown aside. If they had nothing to hide, they would be out there supporting a Senate inquiry.”

Senator Boswell said that by delaying the vote, it would give fishermen and the industry an opportunity to voice their concerns about the marine parks.

“I have been advised that, following the release of the final marine reserve network for each region, under national environmental law, the public will be invited to provide input to a process to establish the proposed networks of new Commonwealth marine reserves.

“This process will include formal statutory consultation of at least 60 days. Stakeholder feedback received during this consultation period will be considered before the Government proclaims the marine reserve networks and before they take effect.”

He said that because of the advice he received that a final declaration of the marine reserve network could not be made until after a 60 day period, delaying the vote would improve the chances of a successful referral at a later date.

“Delaying the vote gives those concerned about the Marine Bioregional Plan more time to push for this Senate inquiry to happen. It gives fishermen more opportunity to put pressure on the Government to agree to a Senate inquiry that will tell them what they need to know about how exactly the marine parks will affect them.”

He stressed that fishermen, particularly recreational fishermen who will be affected by no-take green fishing zones, should contact members and Minister Burke with their demand for a Senate inquiry, in order to give the referral of the Marine Bioregional Plan the best possible chance of being approved in the future.

ENDS

Yesterday I referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs Committee the proposed Marine Bioregional Plan that will encompass Australia.

Environmental Minister Tony Burke has already issued interim maps of the marine parks. He is able to do so at the stroke of a pen, without any Parliamentary scrutiny or legislation.

The maps detail marine parks in the five bioregions: the South-West, North-West, North, the Coral Sea and the Temperate East.

The total Marine Reserve network for all the zones is 1.4 million square kilometres. This makes Australia’s current marine park protected areas approximately 24% of the world’s total marine protected estate. These zones are made up of green no-take zones, multiple use and general purpose zones, and special purpose zones with restricted fishing and no-trawling. The no-take green zones will affect recreational fishing.

The major damage will be to the commercial fishing fleet, the fish processors and onshore businesses, many in regional areas around Australia. Trawling will be banned completely from all marine zones. There will be approximately 250 fishing boats and trawlers that will be partly displaced or totally displaced from their fishing grounds. There will have to be a buy-out of licences and boats to reduce fishing effort so the remaining fishing ground won’t be overfished or overused.

These closures are some of the largest in the world. The repercussions need to be scrutinised by a Senate Committee. The recreational and professional fishermen also should have the opportunity to give evidence to the Committee on what effect these closures are going to have on amateur and professional fishers, and put their concerns on the record.

The professionals must also be given the opportunity to tell the Government what the closures will cost them, and what other effects this will have on their industry. The Government needs to say what compensation will be offered. Have they estimated the cost of buyouts of boats and licences? Who will monitor and police the huge areas that legal fishing will be banned in and will be left with no fishing boats to monitor illegal fishing? What compensation will be paid to fish processors? These are among many questions that must be answered.

Tony Burke has put up these large marine parks around Australia in response to a coalition of green groups, led by the American PEW Foundation, who have lobbied the Government for these closures to protect fish stocks.

The Australian fishing industry is one of the most well-managed and well-regulated in the world, and all Australian fish stocks are healthy. By closing vast areas to professional fishing, we are now importing 70% of our fish.

These import figures will increase as these closures take effect. Australia is now importing fish from countries that do not have our sustainable fishing practices or strong environmental standards.

There are so many questions that need to be asked and answered. A Senate Committee where the industry can get information is urgently required, particularly when there is no Parliamentary scrutiny, debate or Committee stage where governments can be questioned before the parks are declared.

ENDS