Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Prime Minister) (14:16): We are certainly standing up for the Australian shipping industry. Ms Hall: Tell the truth! The SPEAKER: The member for Shortland is warned! Mr ABBOTT: We are certainly standing up for jobs in shipping. And the best way we can do that is by fixing the mess that Labor's legislation made to coastal shipping in this country. Let me be absolutely crystal clear about the facts. Thanks to the changes that members opposite put in place when they were in government, the number of ships engaged in coastal shipping in this country halved. Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The members on my right! Mr ABBOTT: There were 30 ships engaged in coastal shipping in 2006. Seven years later there were just 15. The number of ships halved because of the changes that members opposite made. Mr Shorten: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is relevance, Mr Speaker. Will the Prime Minister just apologise to the man in the gallery for standing up for Aussie— The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister has the call. Mr ABBOTT: There were 15 fewer ships plying our coastal routes because of members opposite. I want to see those ships back. That is the best thing I can do for jobs in coastal shipping. Now— Opposition members interjecting— Mr ABBOTT: If they do not want the answer— Mr Albanese: Mr Speaker— The SPEAKER: This cannot be a point of order on relevance. Mr Albanese: I am concerned he is misleading the House. The SPEAKER: The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. That is a frivolous point of order. Mr ABBOTT: Under members opposite, the share of Australia's freight task carried by shipping dropped from 27 per cent to 17 per cent. That is what Labor's economic vandalism did to coastal shipping in Australia. I will tell you what else Labor's economic vandalism did to coastal shipping in Australia: it raised costs by over 60 per cent, not just destroying jobs in shipping but destroying jobs on land as well. Mr Albanese: It was under your government— Mr Pyne: It was under you! The SPEAKER: The Leader of the House and the member for Grayndler! Mr ABBOTT: As to the claim that members of the opposite have been making, I am quoting from the executive director of surface transport policy, Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, who said yesterday: I did not say to Mr Milby that he should sack his crew and that he should reflag his vessel. This is a direct denial from the relevant official against the relevant claim made by members opposite, so members opposite should just stop verballing people. They should finally tell the truth. Tell the truth, stop verballing people, and agree to our changes which will restore efficiency and employment in the Australian coastal shipping trade.