Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

The honourable gentleman will remember the changes which the previous minister made in relation to what matters were legitimate ones for payment. That deals with the issue which he has raised. The further measures which the government intends to introduce will also deal with abuse more generally.

The greater difficulty—and I would be interested in any advice the honourable gentleman might have in relation to this—is where a payment is made to an overseas agent or organisation entirely outside the jurisdiction of Australia. Take, for example, country X, which has its own sovereign entitlements. If a person is recruited in country X and makes a payment—whether for $5,000 or $10,000—towards a labour recruiter, then that activity in country X, being sovereign to that country, is outside any jurisdiction that we in Australia have. What we have sought to do is to make it clear that any payments made in Australia are within a band of what could be regarded as acceptable, and to put in place the further matters which I foreshadowed in terms of the penalties that might apply to employers. But if the honourable gentleman has any suggestions as to how we could put in place a regime which would have effect contrary to the sovereignty of another country within that country, then my door is open to any suggestion he might make.

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