Work Boat World Editorial – May 2013

There has been a lot of controversy recently about the morality of mainly American use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or “drones” in that country’s so called “war on terrorism”.

It all rather depends on your point of view as morals and morality are very much in the eye of the beholder. In my opinion, if you go to war, even against a somewhat nebulous threat like terrorism, you should go to win.

Work Boat World and Ausmarine editorial – April 2013

I enjoyed two very pleasant surprises the day before I wrote this. I’m sure they were co-incidental but they were distributed on the same day (March 12) by the environment ministers of two Australian states: New South Wales and Victoria.

They were pleasant surprises because they described positive, common sense environmental policy initiatives. They were almost the exact antithesis of the kinds of hectoring, authoritarian, “thou shalt not” orders we have become used to receiving from Australian governments both state and federal.

Ausmarine Editorial – March 2013

The prime minister, Julia Gillard, has kindly provided the taxpayers of Australia with a definite date for our next federal election. There are six months to go.

Not a lot of time but enough for all in this industry to let both government and opposition know, loudly and clearly, what we expect of them! If we don’t take this opportunity we’ll only have ourselves to blame if we have to suffer another three year term during which nobody in Canberra listens to us.

The maritime industry generally has been pathetically weak, over the years, in respect of lobbying for its own best interests. Remarkably and regrettably the most effective performer from the maritime sector has been the Maritime Union of Australia.

The important and productive parts of our industry barely appear on Canberra’s radar. While fishing and aquaculture, notably, are practically hopeless at lobbying and PR, most other sectors are not much better.

Work Boat World Editorial – March 2013

The recent dramatic re-assessment of American energy (read oil) dependency is leading to a similarly dramatic re-assessment of the currently booming offshore service vessel sector.

Obviously, the relationship between the prospects for the offshore service sector and American hydrocarbon self-reliance is close. It is a very symbiotic relationship.

Two important aspects must be highlighted as a result of the implementation of new technology involving “fracking” and highly accurate directional drilling. The first is that these technologies are now proven. The second is the rapid rise in the importance of gas in this development.

Ausmarine Editorial – February 2013

I must admit that I never imagined it would happen so quickly but Canberra’s ill-thought-through, malignant destruction of significant sections of the economy, especially the fishing industry is already returning to bite us on the backside with rising unemployment figures.

The politics of envy, at which so many Canberra bureaucrats are so expert, always ends in very expensive tears.

Years of overfull employment have concealed many of the destructive errors that have been emanating from Canberra over the last few years. The number and progress of those errors have, of course, accelerated since the federal Labor government had to prostitute itself to the Greens in order to stay in power.

This unseemly arrangement has seen Canberra really plumb the depths of idiocy as far as Australia’s maritime industries are concerned. Probably the worst decisions have been to do with Australia becoming the “world leader” in marine protected areas (MPAs).