Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the motion from my friend the member for Nicholls. The issue of agricultural visas is a matter of significant importance to the agriculture sector and to our relationships with our Pacific neighbours. It is essential to note that the history of this visa highlights a tale of promises unfulfilled and opportunity squandered by those opposite.

You see, the previous government promised big things about the agricultural visa, but Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull rightly questioned it, worried it might cause problems with our friends in the Pacific. However, Prime Minister Morrison, in a turnabout to appease the Nationals, performed more backflips than an Olympic gymnastics team and broke their promise.

Despite its announcement in 2018, there was a pitiful silence for three long years, a period marked by inaction and broken promises. In 2021, the Leader of the Nationals, in a frenzy of activity, crisscrossed the nation, assuring citizens that this visa would be operational by Christmas. Yet, come Christmas 2021, not a single worker had arrived. By the time the 2022 election rolled around in May, the tally remained unchanged—a big fat zero; doughnuts.

Instead of taking accountability, the Nationals leader resorted to scapegoating and blaming everyone but himself for this failure. In his firing line was the AWU, the Australian Public Service and even his own cabinet colleagues. Well, it's high time he looked in the mirror.

In my electorate in the Hunter Valley, we have a very diverse agricultural sector, from viticulture and fruit and vegetable growing, to dairy farming and—one of my favourites, of course—the meat industry. Every day that I am out speaking with our farmers and growers, the common theme I hear is the need for more workers.

Our government is committed to working with and supporting our agriculture sector to access the workers it needs. To tackle the workforce challenges, this government has undertaken a range of measures in collaboration with state and territory governments and with the industry and unions. The tripartite or three-way Agricultural Workforce Working Group, established as a result of the Jobs and Skills Summit, has been working to pursue solutions to better skill, attract, protect and retain workers in the agriculture and processing sectors. That commitment is unwavering. We pledge to deliver for our farmers through a meticulously managed visa system, including the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility, or PALM, scheme. We are sticking to our plan to make sure the visa has the right protections for workers, gives employees some leeway and keeps Australia's ties with the Pacific islands as a top priority.

Also, we are focusing on helping our rural areas in Australia by making it quicker and easier for them to get the workers they need. This shows how committed we are to helping our regional areas grow.

Compare this to the last government, which spent 10 years messing up visa rules, especially with the agricultural visa. They didn't handle it well at all. The failings of the past serve as a stark reminder of the necessity of a competent and diligent approach to governance. At a National Farmers Federation event last year, the Nationals leader acknowledged his failings and said, 'We didn't get it right, like the fact that there were nearly a million unprocessed visas is a failure, and I congratulate Minister Giles for the work he has done in making sure we can move forward.'

Moving the Australian agricultural visa to the PALM scheme and having more than 38,000 PALM workers by December 2023 demonstrated our commitment to building good relationships and fixing the lack of workers in agriculture. The PALM scheme stands as a testament to the commitment to the Pacific and our resolve to tackle labour shortages in regional Australia. The benefits to Australian employers, regional communities and industries such as agriculture, meat processing and aged care are undeniable.

The PALM scheme is incredibly important to an electorate like mine. It helps employers who need more workers, especially in areas like agriculture and aged care, and it gives workers from the Pacific countries a chance to earn money and learn new skills. We have also made it easier for employers and workers by reducing travel costs and improving protections now that we are starting a trial program that will let PALM scheme workers bring their families to Australia. This is how you get on with delivering for the community. Those opposite should pay attention. (Time expired)

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