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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The National Food Supply Chain Alliance states Australia is short 172,000 workers from paddock to plate, driving up food prices. Why has this government mismanaged the Pacific labour scheme and shelved the ag visa, making this worker shortage worse? Why does Labor repeatedly make decisions that drive up the cost of living? Why do Australians always pay more under Labor?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. The Minister for International Development and the Pacific will respond to this, but we went to the election with a substantial upgrade of our engagement with the Pacific islands. Whether it's defence, whether it is migration—including temporary labour coming here but also permanent migration to assist the Pacific—or whether it is assisting with skills or with maritime issues, we have re-engaged with the Pacific. Unlike what occurred just before the election, when the Solomons broke away and came to arrangements that were not in Australia's national interests, not only have we signed agreements with Vanuatu and made an agreement with Papua New Guinea—when I was the first foreign leader of any sort to address the PNG parliament in Port Moresby just last month—but we are back around the table. We are not abusing our Pacific island neighbours or making jokes about climate change; we are engaging in these migration issues.

Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many people came on your ag visa?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister raises the ag visa that was a complete failure where no-one came. Imagine making an announcement and having nothing happen. Imagine that. That's what happened under them. I'd ask the minister to respond.

Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the Prime Minister. This question demonstrates the gross ignorance of the National Party when it comes to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. I was proud to announce, with the foreign minister and the Prime Minister and others last week, that we actually exceeded our goal for this year on PALM visa entrants. When we came to power, there were 24,000 Pacific workers under the PALM scheme. We set a goal in the October budget of reaching 35,000 by 30 June this year. We reached that target in December last year—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals will cease interjecting.

Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

demonstrating again our commitment to the Pacific and our commitment to agricultural workers and spreading the scheme to other industries such as aged care.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals is warned.

Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This scheme delivers $15,000 per worker to Pacific islanders in a region where more than one-third of people live on $1,000 a year or less. This scheme is working for the Pacific, it's working for industries that use this scheme and it's working to deepen our engagement in a region vital to our national interests. It stands in stark contrast to the mismanagement and irresponsibility of those opposite, who abandoned our relationships in that region. (Time expired)