PM's advice sack Locals employ foriegnors

http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/pm-embarrassed-by-bureaucrats-sack-the-aussie-workers-advice-admission/story-fnkgde2y-1227517258644

A SENIOR federal official has confirmed a cruise line was advised to sack 60 Australian workers and hire foreigners to avoid the consequences of Government legislation.

And an executive of the company has blasted Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, who denied the advice was ever given.

“I’m not trying to pick a fight with the Prime Minister or the Deputy PM,” Bill Milby, an executive with North Star Cruises, told a Senate inquiry last night.

“But I don’t like being told I’m lying and I took offence at that ... I take very strong offence at that.”

At issue are proposed laws which would allow foreign shipping companies to work on Australian coastal services for half a year without paying Australian wages.

The Government says the legislation is needed to boost competition and lower freight costs. The shipping industry says it will struggle to compete with companies paying significantly lower wages bills.

A Department of Infrastructure bureaucrat, Judith Zielke, confirmed the suggestion had been made to West Australian cruise company True North, which owns North Star Cruises. She said the company was told it could re-register overseas and hire and train a crew overseas to cut costs.