Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Hansard source

In addition to this motion, there is another motion almost identical on the Notice Paper for today, and this statement will apply to both of them, as it has with previous motions of this nature. The government is not privatising visa decision-making. The Department of Home Affairs is conducting a tender process for a new workflow tool that will support digital visa applications and decision-making. This modernisation process is necessary due to the continued exponential growth in visa applications. These reforms are needed to reduce processing times and to support high-quality visa decision-making. This will ensure we can effectively manage national security threats at the border and support key export industries, like tourism.

The provider of the workflow tool will have no role whatsoever in visa decision-making, and this process is not being driven by a desire to reduce departmental staffing or to cut costs. Claims that this process will lead to wholesale job losses and office closures are simply false.

Question agreed to.