Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

As this is my last motion for the year, I would like the indulgence of the chamber to perhaps have it supported unanimously. I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Temporary Work (Skilled) (subclass 457) visa is designed to enable employers to address labour shortages by bringing in genuinely skilled workers where they cannot find an appropriately skilled Australian, and

(ii) many employers, including those in the trade union movement, have utilised this program to address skill shortages in their workforces; and

(b) condemns the short-sighted view of those who label this program as a ‘form of slavery’ and not a vital tool in improving the productivity of Australian businesses.