Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I know the Greens have no concept of what 'market driven' means, but Senator Patrick does. You know very well, Senator Patrick, that this is market driven. And you were in the chamber when I gave this answer to Senator Hanson. To get some indication, if you go back and look at the three free trade agreements—with Japan, South Korea and China—you will find that, since they were ratified, 457 visa numbers for those countries have fallen. While we cannot tell you a precise number, as you well know—because it is market driven—if you would like to go into the treaty policy analysis of cabinet, that is something you can ask the minister in estimates next week and have a much more discursive discussion, which is not relevant to these bills here today.