Laurie Ferguson (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Migration Amendment (Temporary Sponsored Visas) Bill 2013. Last Friday I attended the Campbelltown business awards, and the main winner there made the point that she had proudly decided to live in the Macarthur region, rather than the 'shire', and tried to try to utilise local suppliers for her business and support local charities. Ironically, that very same night, the shadow minister for immigration and my opponent made the long arduous trek from the Sutherland Shire out to Campbelltown. We had a very good indication of the strategy of the opposition in relation to that matter from an address he gave that night at the, appropriately called, Wizard of Oz. He made the point that a particular ethnic group's population had increased by 17 per cent due to utilisation of 457 visas. He tried to encourage envy and ethnic division by these comments. He told them that, if the government cracks down on abuses of 457s, their particular ethnic group would be victimised. I do not think the Australian people really care whether migration numbers to this country of a particular religious or ethnic group—Hindu or Muslim, or Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani—are reduced just because the government of this country sees a need to do something about the 457 shams. It is ironic also that this particular shadow minister tries to increase this division and resentment amongst an ethnic community when, weeks ago, he tried on the basis of one rape case to tell the Australian people to be wary of every person that enters this country as a refugee claimant and suggested that addresses should be registered and police notified.

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