Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I would have thought that three per cent of a growing pool of these visas is a very low number. We heard, for example, from the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation. Their comment was:

We note that temporary visa holders working in health and aged care under the visa class 457, 442 and 485 along with international students and working holiday makers now constitute a significant and growing temporary migrant workforce at a time when local nurses and midwives are struggling to gain employment.

I wanted to note that for the record because Senator Macdonald was trying to say that these things have always been in place under previous governments. The point I am making is that the evidence the committee heard and that I have heard is that these kinds of visas are growing in number. Of course, we expect that under the 'fiesta' of free trade deals that are being signed at the moment they are likely to significantly increase, so the allocation of resources to audit these things I would have thought was absolutely necessary given the evidence that the Senate has heard.

I would like you to clarify whether under both visa subclasses 400 and 457 there are any circumstances where labour market testing is not required before granting foreign installers and service subclass 457 visas.