Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Hansard source

The Migration, pathway to nation building report concludes almost two years of effort, as the chair, the member for Calwell, and I well know. The committee conducted as many hearings as we could to hear from those in our regions. I was delighted to take the committee to Robinvale in my electorate and speak to horticultural farmers and those who employ people who come from overseas to enjoy our prosperity but also to participate in building it. I also commend the member for Calwell and the committee secretariat team in achieving the outcome that we have.

I have to, however, record that I want to begin with one reservation I and my coalition colleagues have about two recommendations in the report. I communicated in the committee that I hold concerns about recommendations 75 and 76. These recommendations propose:

… the Australian Government develop and implement the establishment of a fully funded, independent collaborative institution for research and data collection and analysis related to migration policy, and associated policy impacts in social cohesion, employment, health, and any other relevant policy and portfolio considerations.

The establishment of such an institution with such a broad range of responsibilities will be a financial cost to the government and taxpayers on an ongoing basis. No details of the cost to establish and operate such an institution and the advisory panel of eminent experts has been calculated in this report. Such an institution would also duplicate activities that are already undertaken by the government and existing bodies such as the Grattan Institute, the Australian Population Research Institute, the Australian Institute of Family Studies, most Australian universities and the Centre for Population. An alternative recommendation is that the government reviews the operation of the Centre for Population, which is part of the Department of the Treasury, to determine if its objectives could be broadened to provide additional data and information to government concerning migration policy.

Having said that, as the member for Mallee and shadow assistant minister for regional health, I agree with the chair very much that Australia has always depended on migration to grow our nation in size and capabilities. It is in Australia's DNA to welcome migrants to our country. Migrants have brought aspects of their culture, their cuisine, their faiths and their skills, which have added to our multicultural richness. However, we have a responsibility to ensure our migration settings are right and that they benefit our country, not just in economic terms but also in cultural terms. What we're seeing in our streets currently, I believe, shows that we have not necessarily got those settings completely right. People desire to come to our country for many reasons, but our social cohesion, opportunities to prosper, democratic principles and rule of law, which bring a respectful order to our way of life, are foundational to who we are as Australians. These are currently under threat, and we must do more to ensure that what has brought people here is not lost.

Regarding the public inquiry into migration and nation-building, I was, as I said, proud to take the committee to Robinvale to hear from local farmers about the desperate state they repeatedly find themselves in regarding workforce shortages. Migrants play a key role in getting food from paddock to plate for all Australians and, indeed, the world. The visa system is not fit for purpose, and there are many opportunities for improvement in our current migrant workforce settings. Mallee and the Murray-Darling Basin depend on a workforce for manual picking.

I note that the report did not recommend removing the agricultural visa established by the former government. The National Party has fought long and hard to establish the ag visa. Farmers tell me over and over again that this particular visa will meet their needs, especially in the horticultural space. This visa, which has not been implemented by the current government, will be returned under a coalition government. There are some fruits that need particular skills in harvesting. I have never done that, so I'm not going to pretend to be an expert; however, it is not a case of one size fits all.

As to skills shortages in the regions in general, even this last week a local business in Mallee was trying to hire a physiotherapist, as we deal with our dire health workforce shortages. He was shocked at the fees he had to pay for the privilege of bringing someone in. I've met with GP practices across my electorate and have heard the same thing over and over. The cost for visa approvals is prohibitive. It needs to be addressed. In fact, Master Builders Australia have made the case that regions and small businesses which dominate regional economies should be exempt from paying the Skilling Australians Fund levy. There is some force to that point but it's not one made in this report.

On health workforce shortages, the committee recently went to New Zealand and Vanuatu. There are two points from that trip relevant to this report. New Zealand accepts doctors from 24 countries. We accept graduates from five. Vanuatu and PALM workers we will discuss another time, but they are an essential part of our agricultural sector.

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