Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Can the minister update the House on the steps that the government is taking to ensure the effective management of the 457 visa program? And how does this compare to any other approaches?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. It is one of great achievements of this government that we have created half a million jobs since we have come into government. That is something that all Australians should be very proud of. We are working hard to get Australians into work and to get our economy pumping right across the nation.

The 457 visa program enables employers to employ a foreign worker if the position cannot be filled by an Australian worker.

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a guest worker program. So you favour guest workers, do you?

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

There is quite a process that the employers need to go through before they can employ one of these workers.

Mr Champion interjecting—

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

The member for Wakefield will leave under 94(a).

The member for Wakefield then left the chamber.

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

We saw yesterday that that Daily Telegraph had a story in relation to the Leader of the Opposition. He claimed to be the great friend of the Australian worker and to put Australian workers first, but, as it turned out, the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government as the employment minister, had signed off on special deal for McDonald's and KFC to employ foreign workers over Australian workers. So we have seen example after example over the course of the last 12 months or so of this Leader of the Opposition being completely untrustworthy. You cannot trust a word that this Leader of the Opposition says. He says one thing in here and something very different when he gets outside.

The difficulty for the Leader of the Opposition is that his hypocrisy does not just stop with the agreement for McDonald's. As the foreign minister pointed out before, the Leader of the Opposition was out there railing against the free trade agreement with the People's Republic of China when the reality was he was doing something very different when he was the employment minister. He was out there saying that he wanted to put Australians first. Yet, we have seen in the Daily Tele today that the then employment minister, the now Leader of the Opposition—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

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

The member for Sydney will not have a conversation.

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

signed off on a deal to support 800 Chinese workers who were sponsored by a single Chinese-owned construction company to work at the Sino Iron Project in Western Australia. I want to ask you how that is consistent with some of the words of the Leader of the Opposition. If I just quote a couple—and there are plenty; we can come back to them another day. This is the Leader of the Opposition:

… if there's a project which is $150 million-plus in Western Australia, say a hotel or a construction development, I want to see Western Australian riggers and dogmen get jobs, I want to see Western Australian carpenters, labourers and mechanics and designers and drafts people get those jobs.

…   …   …

I am saying that I want Australians to get the first chance to work on our projects. When did it become so unacceptable to stand up for Australian jobs?—

he said, so sincerely at the time.

There are plenty of households in the Canning electorate where you have got trained construction workers, where you have got people with the sort of skills that can work on projects …

I tell you what, Mr Speaker: don't trust a word that Bill Shorten says. Don't trust a word that this Leader of the Opposition says. He is a con—

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

The minister will resume his seat. The minister will refer to members by their correct titles. I have warned him on this before. The member for Isaacs can just relax for a second. It will be okay. You are going to get the call. I have cautioned the minister on this before. There is a ruling that I refer members to. I will be taking further action for recidivists on the subject. We are not just going to keep asking the minister to withdraw. He will force me to take further action if it persists.

Mr Dutton interjecting—

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Payments) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Withdraw! Withdraw!

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Get him to withdraw that.

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

The minister will withdraw.

Mr Brendan O'Connor interjecting —

No. The member for Gorton has already been warned. He is about to leave before—

Honourable members interjecting—

I have not called the minister yet, I am sorry. The minister will withdraw.

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

I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

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

The member for Isaacs. It might be good if he moves as quickly as he normally does!