Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Vera Auriga must be banned from NZ waters

NEW ZEALAND INDEPENDENT COALITION MEDIA RELEASE

Vera Auriga must be banned from NZ waters

“The Vega Auriga is a ticking timebomb that must be banned from New Zealand - it poses as great a risk as the Rena did when it sailed from Napier to the Astrolabe Reef,” said Brendan Horan.

The Vega Auriga is a container ship that has been banned from every port in Australia, and is now in the Port of Tauranga. It is operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company - the same company that operated the Rena.

“The New Zealand Government should follow the lead of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority which prohibited the Vega Auriga from using or entering any Australian ports. There are serious issues around the welfare of the Filipino crew and of maintenance of the ship.

“Like the Rena, this ship was detained in Australia. It has a shocking track record, and we should not be putting the Bay of Plenty at risk again, especially with the prime example of the Rena catastrophe. The truth of the matter is this Government has done little to protect our shores from oil spillages. Their Rapid Response Unit is four small aluminium dinghies,” said Brendan Horan.

“I am calling on National to ban the Vega Auriga, and to ensure that every ship operating in New Zealand waters complies with New Zealand labour laws. Just four weeks ago, Parliament passed a law to ban slave-ship conditions on foreign chartered fishing vessels. That must be extended to cargo ships as well.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.


"Australia has very good legislation surrounding this as they recognise that an unhappy or impoverished crew exponentially increases the risk of accidents and catastrophes," he said.

The core values of NZ Independent Coalition include ensuring a relationship between the worker and employer that is fundamentally fair, flexible, open and transparent; and immediate, decisive and effective action to ensure workplace safety. For employers this means they will have workers skilled for the moment. This will apply to ships as well as workplaces on shore.

ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.