Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Hansard source

No, I didn't win. But I did okay. I have room for improvement! This sector must be supported, and labour is one of the most critical issues. The increasing scarcity of farm labour may well threaten the long-term viability of the family farm, the farming way of life and the whole industry. However, within every threat is an opportunity. And it is with this in mind that Senator Xenophon and I have renewed our call to allow job seekers to work up to eight weeks on seasonal farm work and earn up to $5,000 without any penalty. Currently, Newstart allowance recipients can be hit with a reduction of 50 cents in the dollar for any money they earn over $104 a fortnight. If you earn enough to lose your payments altogether, it is particularly hard to get them back. When the work is often temporary, this barrier is too high, particularly for those who have never tried working in this industry before. So we feel that we should also include the jobactive providers in a seasonal employment strategy so that providers can find the best local Australian farm workers to work on their land. There is always the potential for temporary work to turn into a continuing job. And we may help renew the farming sector so that, when baby-boomer farmers do eventually retire, a life on the land continues to be a viable proposition for many Australians.

We know that many farmers and young job seekers are keen to give this idea a go. This very summer, there will be a massive labour shortage because too many backpackers have been scared away. Who knows how much long-term damage has been done to the Australian agriculture sector as a result. If we do not get creative about using the job seekers we have right here in Australia, there may be thousands of tonnes of fruit left rotting on the ground this summer. So I will do all I can to ensure that creative ideas to address labour shortages in this harvest and the harvests of the future are put out to the parliament and the public. I do support this legislation, although I have great reservations about its process, the outcomes and how it will affect my community of Mayo. But I cannot disagree with this motion, knowing farmers would have an even more difficult time getting the right labour for their farms.

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