Ross Lightfoot (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am not quite sure what the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Evans, was getting at. I will try and be specific so that this taking note of answers debate about immigration this afternoon can have at least some semblance of comprehensibility. What the Labor Party’s greatest fear seems to be is that those people who come into Australia—and I am not just talking specifically of 457 visas—‘are taking jobs away from Australians that already have jobs and they’re going to do them at cheaper rates’. Those opposite said that. That could not be further from the truth. Around 85 per cent of the people who come in on 457 visas come in as professionals or semi-professionals, or skilled workers. They are not truckies—although they can drive trucks, I assume. They are not labourers; they are not brickies; they are not tilers. If they were, they would probably take jobs away from people. But in the capacities in which they come and are employed here—and with the boom that is going on—there are two per cent unemployed in the 457 category. And one could safely say that those who are unemployed are unemployable.

The skilled migrant program is a good thing for Australia. It may not be good for the unions. Those who read the statistics know that only about 10 per cent of all employees in the private sector are in the union movement. With the advent of workers coming in on 457 visas, that 10 per cent will be reduced. Some, at least, of these people know what being under an authoritarian regime is like and they are not keen to go into the authoritarian trade union movement, where they would be told what to do and when to strike—at least, they would be told when to strike. But, given what is happening with the CFMEU in Western Australia, where the workers who went on illegal strikes are being fined up to $28,600 each, it is not a great talking point in the lunch rooms these days.

The government will not tolerate the exploitation of workers who come into Australia. Does this opposition really believe that the workers’ government, this government that was elected significantly with worker votes, is going to exploit workers openly, knowing full well that the laws prohibit that? The laws dictate minimum wages et cetera. Does the opposition think that all those 457 visa holders who are sponsored by business are not monitored properly? Within nine months of the workers arriving in Australia, there were some 52 ongoing inquiries by DIMA. Those inquiries found that, of the 57 misuses outlined in the so-called case studies that were investigated by DIMA, one was finalised satisfactorily earlier this year, one has been resolved through counselling, one has been referred to the Office of Workplace Services, two are the subject of ongoing investigation and two are being considered for sanctions by DIMA.

I will now turn to the fear that came about over the bill that was withdrawn earlier today by the Prime Minister. I am a strong advocate for the ability to know who comes into Australia. I want to know what they are like, how many they are replacing from our reserve of people overseas—of the 12,000 and often more that we take each year, how many are they going to replace, coming in illegally like they do—and whether in fact they are economic refugees, as I believe those people from West Papua were.

I would like to answer the question that was proposed earlier by one of my colleagues. The question was: if baby Jesus and Joseph and Mary were to come in as refugees, would they be allowed entry? Yes, they would. They would come in as religious workers, subclass 428, or as distinguished talent, subclass 124. This is a kind and generous government when it comes to taking our share of people from overseas. But they should come via the right channels. That is the way we would like it.