Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Minister for Employment) (14:27): As Senator Urquhart ought to know, shipping, especially across Bass Strait, is a costly business. It is one of the most expensive stretches in the world to ship a product across. As a result, it is prejudicing onshore Tasmanian jobs. The manufacturers and agricultural producers are finding it more difficult to get their product to world markets. Why? Because direct international shipping services to Tasmania are no longer continuing, because of Labor's 2012 coastal shipping changes. Senator WONG: Mr President, I rise on a point of order on direct relevance. Perhaps the minister, in the last 15 seconds, could answer the question, which was: how many Tasmanian seafarers will lose their jobs as a result of this government's plan to deregulate coastal shipping? The PRESIDENT: Thank you, Senator Wong. I will remind the minister of the question. Senator ABETZ: Clearly the Labor Party does not want to hear about the onshore jobs that are being prejudiced by the ridiculous changes forced through this place by the Labor Party and the Greens. As far as we are concerned, there should be no job losses. (Time expired)