Ross Hart (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Australian seafarers aboard the CSL Brisbane, including Andrew Halliday from my electorate, were made redundant by their foreign owned employer, Canada Steamship Lines, but there are 457 visa holders working for the same company on a similar vessel off Western Australia. Isn't it the case that the Prime Minister is so focused on his own job that he has forgotten about the jobs of Australian seafarers, like Andrew, who is in the public gallery today?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. I remind the honourable member for Bass that his party is led by a man who is the absolute Olympic champion in issuing 457 visas. Nobody issued more 457 visas than the Leader of the Opposition did when he was the minister. He was the champion. The level of 457 visas issued today is more than a third lower than it was during the honourable member opposite's time as minister. I will ask the immigration minister to supplement this answer, but can I say to the honourable member: we are absolutely committed to ensuring that there are great jobs, more jobs and better paid jobs for Australians. The regime governing 457 visas has been constrained under our government—has been modified to better protect Australian jobs. It was running amok under the time of the Leader of the Opposition.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I caution all those members who have been warned. It is nearing the end of question time.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the Prime Minister rightly points out, when the Leader of the Opposition was the employment minister in the Gillard government, under the 457 program, the numbers grew from 68,000 to more than 110,000. Right on cue, the member for Isaacs comes in and says 'oh well, this is all about the mining boom'. The reality is that, of the 40,000 additional 457s, there were only 3,000 who went to the mining sector. Under this government, the number of 457 visa holders has actually fallen.

The objective of the program is to find work for Australians first, and if a job cannot be filled by an Australian then employers can advertise for a 457 worker. We have promised, and have already delivered in part on this, to tighten up the 457 program. Members might be interested to know the list that was the consolidated sponsorship occupation list presided over by Labor included a number of particular classifications. One was boarding kennel or cattery operator. The other one was goat farmer. There were sculptor and others. We have said we are going to condense this list because we thought that the Leader of the Opposition was too liberal to allow goat farmers and goat herders into this country on 457 visas.

This Leader of the Opposition cannot be trusted. The Australian public have worked out that the Leader of the Opposition is a dishonourable person who seeks to be Prime Minister of this country, and people know that he speaks out of both sides of this mouth on every issue including on this issue of 457 visas.