Defying a century of disastrous experience, the Australian Government’s Minister of Transport, Catherine King, today welcomed the first of a proposed “strategic fleet” of a dozen cargo vessels to Townsville. The ship is a fifteen-year-old craned container vessel of 23,000DWT and 175 metres LOA renamed as ANL Kokoda.
Proving beyond doubt how correct Albert Einstein was with his definition of insanity, this latest venture of the socialist Labor Party Government insanely defies the expensive experience of two Federal and six state governments with commercial shipping catastrophes.
The previous Australian National Line (ANL) was expensively liquidated by, ironically, an ALP transport minister thirty years ago. Its predecessor, the Commonwealth Government Line of Steamers, also ALP-established, was even more expensively liquidated 70 years before that.
Three state governments have also had six economically disastrous shipowning experiences over the years. Socialists never learn from history or experience, unfortunately.
The ship currently operates with a crew of 36 so, needless to say, the leaders of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) welcomed it with open arms. The normal crew for such a vessel would be about 18. Even if its crew numbers were to be reduced to a more rational half, operating with MUA wages and conditions, the ship will require substantial government subsidies for it to compete in the international market.
With a normal lifespan of about 25 years for such ships, ANL Kokoda is already comparatively elderly. No doubt the brokers who handled its sale saw the Australian Department of Transport coming, as they always seem to do when Australian governments acquire ships. It is an almost certain bet that the government paid more than the going rate for the ship.
Expensive to buy and very expensive to operate, this acquisition epitomises the “Sovietisation” of Australian shipping. I predict massive losses when the ship and its coming brethren try to compete globally.
It will also be practically useless in its MUA proclaimed role as a “disaster relief” saviour for Australia’s Pacific island neighbours. It is too large, too deep draughted, and too slow to achieve anything there and, given their history, the MUA members of its crew will expect to be paid danger money for such activities. They will also preclude its practical use in time of war.
The Soviet Russians never made profits from shipping. Inevitably, neither will the Soviet Australians. Governments should never own commercial ships.
