Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

No; the international treaties were in reference to some of the areas that we are confined to insofar as labour market testing is concerned. I would refer the honourable member to my second reading speech. What I also said and made very clear in my second reading speech is that, whilst we would look to consider occupations in level 1 to be exempt from market testing, that would be done by legislative instrument, in the main. What I have done in this instance is included two professions that I think require what is still a very low level form of testing. This is not an overly rigorous or onerous testing.

What I made clear in the second reading speech is that there would be occupations in level 1 that may have to go to market testing. That was clear from the beginning. It has been put to me by a number of other members—and I have also had evidence provided to me—that there are some concerns in relation to those particular very important professions. For that reason, they are expressly referred to in the legislation. But that would not prevent us from ensuring that other levels and other occupations would in fact require labour market testing if we chose to do that by legislative instrument beyond the enactment of this bill if it passes both houses.

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