Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Dunkley for his question and his interest in this area. As members would be aware, last year the government announced significant changes to the 457 visa class in order to put Australian workers first when it comes to Australian jobs. So, for example, we've already reduced the number of eligible occupations on the skills shortage list from 651 down to 461 to ensure that overseas workers are only brought in when there are genuine skills needs. We are about to introduce new rules for how jobs must be advertised so that Aussies get the first chance at those jobs. Further, we are investing in the Skilling Australian Fund, which will generate about 300,000 apprenticeships and traineeships going towards areas where there are skills shortages today.

I can report that these things are already having an impact, because the most recent data shows the number of 457s granted last year was only 70,000. Compared to the last year of the Labor government, that's almost half the number granted. This is particularly impressive because, while we'd only granted half the number of 457s, we'd massively grown the economy and the number of jobs, as we've heard from the Prime Minister and Treasurer, and equally, the number of people on welfare had also shrunk to its lowest levels in 25 years. It's a great trifecta of more jobs, fewer people on welfare and, consequently, fewer overseas workers needing to come into the country to fill those positions. That's a great trifecta for Australian workers.

It's interesting to contrast that with the Labor years. Whereas we created the positive trifecta of more jobs, more Aussies in those jobs and fewer overseas workers coming into the country, the exact opposite occurred under the Labor government. Let's go through each one, starting with the job creation. Believe it or not, in the last year of the Labor government, jobs actually declined, actually went backwards by over 17,000 people. Look at the welfare queues: the welfare queues increased by 250,000 people under the previous Labor governments. While that's happening, how many 457s came in? A record number of 130,000 457s came in—more people on welfare; more overseas workers coming in to take the jobs; and fewer Aussies taking those jobs. Guess who was in charge of that program? None other than the Leader of the Opposition.

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