Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I would like to speak on how the Morrison government is committed to making sure that Australia's agricultural sector has the workers it needs.

Right from the beginning of this pandemic, the Morrison government has acted to make sure that our farmers are supported. We have acted to make sure that our agricultural sector can continue to operate in a safe way. Firstly, this government extended visas for overseas workers. These workers supplement our highly skilled Australian farmers. Secondly, we provided incentives for Australians to move to the bush to work in the agricultural sector. We recommenced the Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme and this government put in place the National Agricultural Workers Code to facilitate the movement of agricultural workers.

All this was done early on to make sure that this sector could continue to operate. In March, this government sat down with each of the states. We said that we needed to develop a plan to make sure that our agricultural sector keeps moving. In August we said that we wanted to see more Aussies working in the regions, while still relying on Pacific and seasonal workers. We pre-vetted 25,000 men and women from 10 Pacific nations to give our farmers the boost that they needed. The federal government was ready.

However, at national cabinet the states said that they wanted to run their own quarantine arrangements. They wanted to do that and they told the federal government no. Daniel Andrews, who has continually failed Victoria and Victorians time and time again, now says that maybe the federal government should be running the quarantine program. I find this to be a bit rich after he told us no several times. Andrews wants to continue doing everything himself. Aspen Health, an internationally recognised organisation, put a proposal to the Victorian government, saying, 'We have a plan to take over hotel quarantine and to help Victoria's farmers.' The Andrews government did nothing for six months. Only in January did Andrews come up with arrangements to support farmers. The arrangements were light on detail and relied heavily on Tasmania.

I am so pleased to have seen flights arrive in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania to help farmers and the meat-processing sector. Victoria is the only state not to bring in a single worker. Daniel Andrews is letting Victoria down again.

Australia's second largest state, thanks to Premier Andrews, is being outperformed by our smallest jurisdiction. The Northern Territory has put in place arrangements to see workers start on 5 August. They are leading the way. I believe that the Premier of Victoria should be looking out for the interests of all Victorians, so I ask: why are regional Victorians being left in the lurch? Regional Australia is the engine room of Australia's economy, but Premier Andrews refuses to provide the grease to rev the sector up.

Our farmers are tired of waiting on Premier Andrews. We need action from a premier that is hell-bent on locking up Victoria. Our farmers deserve better, Victorians deserve better and Australia deserves better.

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