Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I speak also to the report Negotiating the maze: review of arrangements for overseas skills recognition, upgrading and licensing. I commend the Joint Standing Committee on Migration for the work that it has done. The report highlights a range of issues and the importance of getting our immigration system and arrangements correct. It also notes the importance of working holiday-makers. It is interesting that, just this afternoon, the Senate Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Education tabled the report Perspectives on the future of the harvest labour force. I acknowledge Senator Bartlett’s comments in that debate, as he has just been discussing immigration arrangements. In the debate earlier this afternoon he referred to my supplementary comments in that report and noted his support for those.

In that regard and with regard to getting the system right, I proposed a targeted and tightly controlled pilot scheme to meet a demonstrated labour force need in a certain area over a certain time. That was based on visiting places like Mildura, Robinvale, the Northern Territory, the Ord River, the mango farms in and around Katherine and the vegetable-growing areas in Queensland. Even in my home state of Tasmania, during certain times of the year there is a desperate need for labour. There is clearly a labour shortage at a certain time, and there has been a growing reliance on working holiday-makers over the years. Over 100,000 working holiday-makers have been employed in the last 12 months. Their make-up is ever increasing, and seasonal horticultural workers are an increasing part of that sector. It is acknowledged that that is important, but it is quite clear that there are two distinct needs in these areas: one is the labour shortage and the other relates to the reliability of that labour. Working holiday-makers are obviously there for a time to do the work, get the cash and then get back to their holidays. For the small or larger businesses that might be employing them it is a very serious matter. The serious labour shortages and the issue of reliability have caused no end of difficulties and challenges for the various groups.

I note that there has been strong support for a pilot scheme from Australian Citrus Growers Inc, Yandilla Park Pty Ltd, Growcom and Horticulture Australia, not to mention the National Farmers Federation. I also note and acknowledge the very good work of Peter Mares and Nic Maclellan, two of Australia’s foremost experts on seasonal labour schemes.

The World Bank completed a report. Dr Manjula Luthria, representing the World Bank, put forward a very substantive report and strong evidence basically saying, ‘Yes, a pilot scheme would be appropriate for Australia.’ Crop losses in Australia due to labour shortages have been estimated by the World Bank at some $700 million. That is a huge amount of money, so this is an opportunity to get the system right and to consider it, as I say, in very tightly targeted areas under strict conditions. If growers ever breach those conditions then they should face the full force of the law.

The full payment and the minimum payment of the award or the appropriate agreement—whichever is the case—should apply. There should never ever be an opportunity for undercutting. Issues of transport and accommodation need to be dealt with, and in my view those costs should be covered by the employer in each case. I also support the view that the community should support those particular guest workers, whether it be for three to six months or three to eight months. Let us look at and at least consider the merits of a pilot program. In those circumstances, I think we could see the merit or otherwise of such a scheme. In areas like Mildura, Robinvale and the other places that I have mentioned, I know that there is certainly very strong support for such a pilot program, not to mention support from many members of the National Farmers Federation.

The protocol is set out in chapter 4 of the report that was tabled earlier today, and I commend that. A strict protocol is definitely required. Seasonal workers should be paid in accordance with the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard and the relevant classification that applies in the particular award or agreement operating in that workplace. I have made that point and, if at all possible, the community should support such an arrangement.

In terms of the migration arrangements, I think it is worth looking at. I appreciate the work of the committee and of the committee secretariat. Of course I was disappointed not to have the opportunity to express some of those views earlier today. In the context of the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, the views that I have expressed can hopefully be considered. I thank the Senate.