This is fanciful and unrealistic.
The Australian merchant navy has systematically been decapitated as a result of very cheap overseas crew costs, cheaper compliance and regulatory costs associated with foreign flag vessels and the introduction of continuous voyage permits. No private Australian maritime operator is going to dive into an inherently commercially compromised operation. Not going to happen.
The government’s main concern is fuel security and I get that. Our crude reserves are almost non existent and the government has been allowing the closing of the majority of our refineries with the view to converting them into imported refined product storage facilities. They have even purchased a quantity of crude which is to be stored in the USA in order to achieve our required 90 day reserve status.
Albanese speak smacks of pork-barrelling.