Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Vanstone. Will the minister update the Senate on the government’s reforms to the working holiday maker visa system and the benefits for the community, particularly in regional areas?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. Being from a regional area herself, she no doubt has an interest in this area. Working holiday makers come to Australia; they are great tourists. They spend quite a lot of money—perhaps not much each day, but they stay for a long period. So their net spending, in tourism dollars, compares very favourably with short-stay visitors from wealthy backgrounds. So we welcome them to Australia. They also as part of a working holiday want to undertake some work and can be a great assistance to us in rural areas and in restaurant, catering and tourism areas. We introduced further reforms to the working holiday maker system to benefit industries and communities in rural and regional Australia so that people who have worked for three months—not just in agricultural areas but in some of the fishing areas and a broader range of agricultural activities, all associated with rural activities but not just horticulture—will also be able to get benefits.

Backpackers who work in a range of those industries can now apply for a 12-month working holiday visa, and they will be able to work with one employer for up to six months rather than the current entitlement, which is three. Already over 2,000 people have applied for this. That is an extra 2,000 people working in Australia, helping get the crop off the vine or the tree or wherever and off to market.

I am a bit surprised that senators opposite have not complained about cheap labour coming into Australia by way of working holiday makers, and I expect to see Mr Beazley coming out with a policy saying: ‘We’re going to cancel our working holiday visa agreements. Yes, we’re not going to have them anymore because they bring in cheap labour. And never mind that Australians will not get opportunities because we do that!’ I expect that is what they will do, because after all they are just interested in looking after their own. They are not interested in building a bigger and stronger Australia. They are not interested in helping industry get the job done so that Australian jobs are secure. No, if you come from Bombay, Beirut or Beijing, watch out—you will not be welcome here! That is the view that is expressed opposite. We have working holiday makers coming from about 17 countries all over the world, and we intend to welcome them.

Seasonal harvest labour shortfall industries will be particularly grateful for these changes. Regional growers continue to register interest in seasonal workers through the Harvest Trail website. As I indicated earlier, harvests are picked and sold, but there is great benefit not only to the economy through the crop being marketed properly but, of course, from the tourist dollars that go there. It is an initiative that again underscores the government’s commitment to look at any labour shortages that are felt very acutely in the regions and to fix them.

It might not be understood what a great benefit this change will have for other industries—for example, nurses and midwives. It going to have a very significant benefit for the health system because lots of nurses and midwives come to Australia as working holiday makers. They work in a hospital for three months and then they have to move on and go to another one; now they will be able to stay in the same place for six months. That will be of benefit to the hospitals, but it will be of benefit to the whole community as well. There will be a more stable workforce and more skilled health professionals available to work in Australia. I am pleased that Professor Debra Thoms, the chief nursing officer of the New South Wales department of health endorses this government policy. She is very pleased that we have the New South Wales department of health endorsing a government policy, as of course they do for the use of 457 visas.