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—I rise today to speak on the Maritime Legislation Amendment Bill 2002 . I support the measures within this bill, and I support the comments of the member for Corangamite on the work of the committee, including his favourable comments about Peter Morris and his role. I too have had long conversations with Peter Morris about the need to ensure that safety standards throughout the world, not just in Australia, are brought up to and kept at a high level. However, I am more critical of what has been left out of the bill, which underlines the Howard government's poor approach to shipping policy, particularly the increased risk posed by the flags of convenience ships. These ships are in poor condition. They have inadequately trained crews, often from Third World countries, and they expose Australia to the risk of maritime and environmental disaster. Oil spills can have a devastating effect on the environment and can inflict a crippling blow on the local economy. I have shared the concerns expressed by my colleagues the shadow minister for transport and member for Batman and the member for Bass about the recent spate of international maritime incidents involving flags of convenience vessels that have traded on the Australian coastline. These incidents should have alerted the Howard government to the continual threat that flags of convenience ships bring to Australian waters. In an ideal world all ships would have the standards of the Australian fleet, but we are not in an ideal world and many of the flags of convenience ships—as has been pointed out by members on both sides of the House—are second-rate and inadequate. We have only to cast our minds back to late last year to see the number of extremely serious incidents involving flags of convenience ships, some of which have been mentioned by members on both sides of the House. On 26 November, Hual Europe , a two-year old car carrier travelling under a Bahaman flag, burned out of control after running aground near Tokyo. This ship was in Australian waters in September 2002 in the ports of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. On 24 November 2002, Tasman Sea , a 22-year-old oil tanker travelling under a Maltese flag, was involved in a collision off China that resulted in an oil slick. This ship was last in Australian waters in May 2001. On 24 November, the Gaz Poem , a 26-year-old LPG carrier travelling under a Panamanian flag, was burning out of control off Hong Kong. Last but in no way least, on 18 November 2002, Prestige , a 26-year-old oil tanker travelling under a Bahaman flag, sank off the northern Spanish coast, which resulted in an oil slick estimated to be twice the size of the oil slick caused when the Exxon Valdez sank. We all remember the dreadful marine and environmental damage caused by the Exxon Valdez . Ships sailing under flags of convenience do not have to maintain the same degree of safety standards or abide by the same regulations as Australian ships. This is not only inherently inequitable but it is also particularly worrying for my constituency. My electorate of Stirling is lucky enough to contain the pristine beaches of Scarborough and Trigg which, in my experience, are the finest beaches in Australia—a fact that I and my constituents are very proud of—and we take great enjoyment when we spend time relaxing at the beach. This is why I am shocked and disturbed by the fact that the Howard government has not taken more proactive steps to reduce the number of flags of convenience ships entering Australian waters and to ban from our coast single-hulled vessels like the Prestige. As the member for Corangamite has just pointed out, oil carried in single-hulled ships poses a risk to marine and coastal environments. We must move to a worldwide situation where oil is carried only in double-hulled vessels. Australia can lead the world and can apply pressure, especially through our work at the international level, to ensure this happens.