Marine Supply Base? Another union rort?

Dear Editor,

In principle I support the concept of establishment of an area at East Arm as a Marine Supply Base – to service the Territory’s growing oil and gas industry. It seems like a reasonable idea.

However one wonders what criteria the Henderson Labor Government will use when assessing
the three consortiums tendering to establish and operate the Marine Supply Base?

Could it be Henderson and his union mates will insist that this Marine Supply Base must be owned and operated by a company that has provided an undertaking to employ only union labour?

If this is to be yet another union rort there should be no taxpayer’s funds ($5 million in this years budget) going towards the project whatsoever.

A better, far more transparent way to help with the establishment of a Marine Supply Base would be for the government to call worldwide tenders from companies interested in purchasing parcels of land at East Arm on which to establish and operate a Marine Supply Base. Covenants would obviously apply, but even if a number of companies ended up operating Marine Supply Bases at East Arm, surely that would be better than one heavily unionized “government-selected” operator?