Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Keneally, I move

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i.) 21 November is National Agriculture Day,

  (ii.) farmers are the lifeblood of this country, and we have always relied on Australia's farming sector to underpin our economic growth and prosperity,

  (iii.) current workforce shortages in the horticultural industry are adversely impacting production on our farms and, in turn, the livelihoods of our farmers,

  (iv.) this workforce labour shortage is now a crisis, as stated by the Member for Mallee, and demonstrated in a recent expose by The Project,

  (v.) the demand for workers is being met by unscrupulous labour hire companies who trade on the vulnerable,

  (vi.) Australia's airports have become a pathway for criminal syndicates and people smugglers to traffic migrant workers into Australia, and exploit the loopholes and delays caused by the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Dutton) and the Department of Home Affairs,

  (vii.) although the Federal Government has refused to acknowledge the issue, the Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs has written that 'Organised crime and illegitimate labour-hire companies are using this loophole to bring out illegal workers who are often vulnerable and open to exploitation',

  (viii.) while the Federal Government has ignored this issue, the people smugglers have changed their business model from boats to planes, and

  (ix.) the people smugglers victimise both foreign workers and our farmers by exploiting loopholes in our visa system, putting the livelihood of farmers and the lives of vulnerable people at risk; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to take immediate action to combat workforce shortages in our horticultural industry by preventing the ongoing trafficking and exploitation of foreign workers by criminal syndicates and people smugglers.