Susan Lamb (Longman, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this afternoon to oppose the member for Dawson's motion, because, quite frankly, it's flawed and erroneous. Although I agree that the 457 visa program has become, as the motion states, bloated and a proxy pathway to permanent residence under this government, I cannot agree with the rest of the motion. I'm not going to stand here and commend the government for removing just a small number of occupations from a skilled worker visa. I'm not going to commend the government for removing a picture framer from a list of skilled workers. I will concede that I'm not entirely aware of how many picture framers there are currently in Australia, nor do I know what the demand is for new workers in this field, but what I do know is that removing picture framers from the skilled worker visa is not going to end the employment crisis, which this government has done so little to solve. This government has revealed a list of occupations least employed as 457 visas, and has axed them. The less that an occupation has relied on a 457 visa, the less of an effect removing them from the list will have. When 18 of the occupations that were removed haven't been used in the past 10 years, removing them effectively does nothing.

Aside from cutting a few occupations from the 457 visa that were rarely, if ever, used, this government's refresh of the skilled workers visa is truly just window dressing. The member for Dawson may deny this all he likes, but it is so true. While he tries to call this a game changer, really all this is is a name changer. There are no meaningful changes that will ensure the local jobs go to local workers. Employers will still be able to turn to a temporary work visa to undercut local jobs, wages and conditions, like they have been for so long under this Turnbull government. The member for Dawson claims that this will redress the balance between employer interests and those of domestic workers, but, as all Australians know, the LNP's definition of balance tends to lean pretty heavily to one side—besides which, I'd like to know just how the government knows what the interests of stakeholders are. Following April's rushed announcement, the Turnbull government was besieged by business, industry and the education sector for failing to consult with them, but it's not surprising; it's typical Turnbull government practice. They seem to think they know best, and that they know what everyone else wants. Member for Dawson, you can't just assume that you know what the interests of employers and domestic workers are; you have to speak to them, to listen, to hear what they say.

I can tell you that Labor has spoken with key stakeholders. We've listened and we've heard. That's why a Shorten Labor government will crack down on 457 rorts and build a skilled Australian workforce. This will reduce our reliance on using overseas workers to fill shortages. Rather than just renaming that 457 visa scheme, Labor will take meaningful steps to make it less necessary for us to rely upon 457 visa holders, and to ensure that it's not a regular and normal employment practice in this country. I think the important part, too, is we recognise that people all over Australia are actually looking for work, and people are doing it tough while they're looking for work—people like those in my electorate of Longman or further north in the Central Queensland area of Rockhampton.

We've also recognised that there are skills shortages in certain industries, and we've made a connection. Labor will help local people get the skills they need to get into work. While the Turnbull government has made huge cuts to skills and training—$2.5 billion, in fact—Labor will establish the SkillUP Training Fund to reverse the damage this government has done to the sector. Education and training is a long-term investment in our country's future, and this government's lack of foresight is absolutely disgraceful. Labor will also establish the Australian Skills Authority, an independent, labour market testing body that will determine genuine skill needs and restrict work visas to only those areas, and we will disallow any labour loopholes in trade deals like the deals with China, Japan and South Korea which the government allowed to waive local labour market testing. While this government wastes Australia's time, Labor's already thinking ahead, and when Labor wins the next election, Labor will reverse the damage that this government has caused and will set Australia up for the future.

Debate adjourned.

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