Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

Labor's policy on Australian jobs is to put workers in Australia first. This means protecting jobs for Australians regardless of where they were born. It was reinforced by the Prime Minister's announcement this morning to add a new modern awards objective in the Fair Work Act to protect penalty rates for Australian workers. Our changes to the 457 temporary skilled visa include employers being required to demonstrate there is a genuine skill shortage, the inability for employers to send temporary overseas workers to an area where local skilled workers are already available, and closing a loophole that allowed employers to bring in overseas temporary workers under false pretences and pay less than the position for which the visa was issued.

We have successfully settled over seven million people in Australia and our cultural diversity contributes to Australia being such a wonderful country. We relish our multicultural character and we know it brings us many benefits, economically, socially and culturally. One of the key factors that determines successful settlement in Australia is having a job, and the message that I am hearing from some permanent migrants and refugees is that they are finding it difficult to get a permanent job despite being ready, willing, able and skilled. That is why our government is unapologetic in implementing changes that not only stop the practices that I have outlined in relation to the 457 class visa, but offer support to workers seeking sustainable permanent work in Australia. Local workers who can do these jobs deserve the chance to do them. Our policy on jobs is to put workers in Australia first and that will remain our focus.