Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in this matter of public importance debate to whole-heartedly condemn the Turnbull government's failure to ensure the Australian economy is operating in the interests of working Australians. Nowhere is this failure more evident than when it comes to the treatment by this government of workers under the flawed failure of the Community Development Program, the CDP. CDP requires participants to do 25 hours of work-like activity a week in return for welfare payments of about $10 an hour for 52 weeks a year. It only applies to people in rural and remote areas—and I am certainly not going to go into how this scheme is discriminatory with 85 per cent of Indigenous participants or how it's unfair when people who don't live in rural and remote areas don't have the same requirements to work for welfare payments.

CDP does nothing to build economies in regional and remote communities. It does nothing to build Indigenous business and Indigenous employment on country and community. In fact, it does the opposite by creating a pool of free labour for businesses by paying people with minimal welfare for work they should get a wage for. There is no long-term commitment or real vision by this government to develop real jobs in remote areas. This government is failing people who live in regional and remote Australia by refusing to come to grips with the need to make sure our economy works for everyone, not just the top earners. The government is particularly failing Indigenous Australians in remote regions. As former Liberal minister, Fred Chaney, said in a submission to the Senate inquiry into CDP, 'It's hard to describe the government's attitude as anything other than assimilationist, where they require remote Aboriginal people to fit into a metropolitan framework of work or welfare.' CDP does not stimulate remote economic development. It does not lead to the development of Indigenous business or jobs, and it actually works against what opportunities there are to get people into working on country.

But this government's failure to deal with the economic realities of remote and regional areas goes beyond the failures of the CDP. The Northern Territory is experiencing real issues with the impact of the government's proposed changes to the skilled migration program. The NT has a unique labour market, with workforce challenges that are not faced in other regions. We have a small population spread over a large geographical base and we have high participation and low unemployment. We have occupations in shortage in the long term in the NT that are not in shortage elsewhere in Australia. We also have a transient population. In recognition of this, the Northern Territory is the only state or territory with a designated area migration agreement. Northern Territory minister Ken Vowles is in Canberra at the moment letting federal ministers know how essential it is that the NT DAMA remains in place and be broadened to reflect the needs of local employers, the occupations that reflect NT labour market shortages and the flexibility to meet future occupation list changes.

Employment of local workers is the NT government's priority, and then other Australian workers to fill shortages. Many NT employers, including the Northern Territory government, continue to rely heavily on overseas workers to fill positions that cannot be filled locally. As at 1 July 2017, there were 1,619 primary 457 visa holders, with 1,078 dependants, filling skills shortages in the Northern Territory. The government's proposed changes to the skilled migration program may impact the NT's DAMA. They have created concern in the Northern Territory business community about their ability to meet their ongoing skills shortages. The NT DAMA arrangements have the potential to provide an alternative pathway for NT employers to fill skills shortages. A pathway for permanent residents for DAMA is necessary to attract appropriately qualified and experienced overseas workers and also recognises that the majority of occupations being accessed through DAMA have been in long-term shortage.

I urge the government to listen to Minister Ken Vowles and his Northern Territory parliamentary colleagues about ways that the Northern Territory's workforce needs can be accommodated so that it can continue to contribute to Australia's economic future. I urge you to listen to remote area workers who are being unfairly impacted by the discriminatory CDP and to make changes that will stimulate our regional and remote economies so that all workers and residents can benefit.

I do need to pick up on some of the comments by previous speakers—in particular, Senator Smith—in relation to unions. It's the unions in this country, particularly around the Indigenous issues of remote Northern Territory Australia, who are standing strong to bring about a better way of life in terms of wages for the people of the Northern Territory. Over the winter break, there was the establishment of the First Nations Workers Alliance to look at the inequality that is facing CDP employees across Australia. It is the unions who stood strong with Vincent Lingiari in order to pursue the rights for the Gurindji in terms of equality, wages and living conditions. It is the unions who are there for the most vulnerable in Australian society in jobs right across this country. So, I would encourage young Australians to turn to the people that you know are there to support you and to fight for you, to fight for your rights and to fight to return programs that are important to young Australians—penalty rates, for example.

I travelled the length and breadth of the Northern Territory these past six weeks and listened to Territorians who spoke about their concerns in relation to penalty rates. In Katherine, in Tennant Creek and in Alice Springs, and in the hospitality industry, there are many issues facing our young people. They are wondering: 'What is the vision for our country? What is this government doing to show real vision and real commitment to all Australians who live in these remote regions of our country?' There is none. Instead, the vision concentrates on those who have it all. The vision stays with those who want more and can get more under this government, but there is no long-term commitment and vision for the most vulnerable.