Published: 9 Sep 2009
The Maritime Union has only just received the report from the Office of Transport Security on port security and will be examining the 75-page document and making a considered and detailed response.
“Terrorism offences or related activity need to be a serious consideration in port and national security but at the same time the rights of maritime workers need to be protected. Existing arrangements mean all of our members have subjected themselves to strict background checks from the Australian Federal Police and ASIO”, said Paddy Crumlin, National Secretary of the MUA. It is important to note that today’s newspaper story says that while the report “acknowledges the increasingly recognised nexus between organised crime and terrorism, it also reveals that ASIO is yet to issue a single adverse security assessment of a wharf worker.” ''Although ASIO may provide a negative or qualified security assessment, which would likely lead to a refusal to issue, it is understood that this has never occurred in respect of an MSIC applicant,'' it says.
