Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

Again, I welcome Mr Christensen bringing it up in the joint party room, because I can tell you: we encourage rigorous debate in our joint party room, because we actually believe in freedom of speech on this side of the parliament. As I have said, on this side of the parliament we understand the priority must always be to Australian workers, but where you cannot find an Australian that is ready, willing and able to work and you go through all the hurdles that we put you through to ensure that you have tried to employ an Australian, you should be able to employ a foreign worker. But, if Senator Chisholm is advocating that there should be absolutely no foreign workers in Queensland, and if George Christensen is advocating that as well, well I have to say it is not going to happen, because where there is a case for foreign labour, we support that, but on the basis that you have tried to employ an Australian first.

Opposition senators interjecting—