MUA and ACTU To Rally Marking Three Years Since Departure Of Alexander Spirit

Published: 20 Jul 2018

Labor Candidate for Braddon Justine Keay will join ACTU Secretary Sally McManus and MUA members in a rally on Saturday July 21 in Devonport to mark three years since the departure of Tasmania’s last Australian-crewed fuel tanker, the Alexander Spirit.

The Alexander Spirit infamously sat for three weeks in Devonport in July 2015, with the Australian crew refusing to sail because land-based workers told them they would be sacked and replaced by an exploited foreign crew at the next port destination.

“It is now three years since the last petrol tanker with Australian workers on board left Tasmania and nationally, we are now down to just two to three weeks supply of petrol and almost no storage capacity,” MUA Assistant National Secretary Ian Bray said.

“On Saturday July 21 a rally will take place to remember the dispute and remind the then sitting member Brett Whiteley and the Turnbull Government that it’s not good enough to sell out Australian jobs and outsource our nation’s fuel supplies to foreign ships and multinational companies.”

MEDIA ALERT: 11.30am, Saturday July 21

What: Rally To Mark Three Years Since The Departure of the Alexander Spirit

Where: 11.30am assemble at Finlayson Way, Devonport. Then march to East Devonport Park

Speakers at 12.30pm: ACTU Secretary Sally McManus, MUA Assistant Secretary Ian Bray, Alexander Spirit crew member Joanne Kerin, ALP Candidate for Braddon Justine Keay

Media Contact: Darrin Barnett 0428 119 703

FUEL SECURITY FACTS

  • In July 2015, Tasmania’s last Australian-crewed fuel tanker was removed from the coast
  • Then Member for Braddon Brett Whiteley and the Liberal Government stood by and let those jobs sail over the horizon
  • Multinationals and the Abbott/Turnbull Government said it was about cost, yet the cost of fuel has since risen by more than 30 cents a litre
  • Australia only has 2-3 weeks of fuel supply and almost no storage capacity
  • Australia has been non-compliant with the International Energy Agency’s 90-day fuel stockholding obligation since March 2012
  • Australia now relies on foreign shipping and exploited seafarers on as little as $2/hour to keep the supply going


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Authorised by P Crumlin, Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney