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

Before moving general business notice of motion no. 265, I wish to inform the chamber that Senators Bilyk, Lambie, McKim, Polley, Whish-Wilson and I will also sponsor the motion. I also seek leave to amend the motion.

Leave granted.

I, and also on behalf of Senators Brown, Bilyk, Lambie, McKim, Polley and Whish-Wilson, move the motion as amended in the terms circulated in the chamber:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the Department of Home Affairs employs over 100 dedicated and hardworking Tasmanians to process visa applications,

  (ii) this is crucial work that ensures the integrity of our visa processing system and is the cornerstone of our sovereignty as a nation,

  (iii) privatisation of Australia's visa system would threaten the livelihoods of over 100 Tasmanians and their families, and

  (iv) privatising Australia's visa system will lead to increased costs of visas, greater risks of worker exploitation, data security breaches and will make protecting national security more difficult;

(b) condemns the Federal Government for auctioning Australian jobs off to the highest bidder, and for undermining the integrity of our visa processing system and our nation's sovereignty; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to guarantee the protection of these 104 jobs in Tasmania, and the 2000 jobs across Australia, which will be lost under the Morrison Government if Australia's visa system is privatised.