Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In November last year the final report into the Inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker Program was delivered. I'm drawn to recommendation three:

The Committee recommends that Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa holders should be able to work in tourism and hospitality in all hard-to-staff rural and remote areas of Australia as part of their 88 days or 6 months to qualify for their second- or third- year WHM visa.

I would like to thank the committee for that recommendation. It was in response to a submission that I put in on behalf of those members that represent inland Australia—remote and very remote Australia. You basically draw a line around the middle. We're finding it's very difficult to get workers in hospitality everywhere in Australia at the moment, it must be said, and that plays into a larger debate. But this has been an ongoing issue for places in my electorate like Oodnadatta, Marree, the Flinders Ranges, Coober Pedy, which actually revolve around tourism but can't get workers. They've been competing against the agricultural and mining industries where, of course, the 417 visa makers could get the extension. It has been recognised previously that they face these issues above the Tropic of Capricorn, so I've asked for a continuation of that. I met with the minister a week ago and he seemed very open to moving on this space and I just ask that that is exactly what happens.

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