Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Vanstone. Will the minister advise the Senate about the benefits of skilled workers to the Australian economy? Is the minister aware of any policy alternatives to filling labour shortages in Australia?

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

I thank Senator Fierravanti-Wells for the question. There has been some recent publicity—and it has been raised in this chamber—on the issue of 457 visa holders working in restaurants in Canberra. Senator Lundy has shown a particular interest in this and has been quite outspoken on it. In my view, she attempted to score some cheap points on this matter in the Senate on 8 February when she said:

... the Howard government seems to be encouraging exploitation.

It was all our fault, apparently. We investigated the claims—we said we would. Where they were proven, some people or companies are being prosecuted. It is true that there were problems with the salaries of seven Filipino chefs. We sanctioned the employers who were in breach. We found new sponsors for the majority of the Filipino chefs who wanted to keep working, and they are now working in Canberra keeping Canberra businesses up and running.

But Senator Lundy and the Labor spin machine and their union mates claim that 457 visa holders are responsible for driving down pay and conditions for Australians. The facts are that the Labor Party wants to deal in fear on these matters and what we want to deal in is the facts. This issue being raised meant that the office of workplace safety wanted to conduct a broader audit of Canberra restaurants. It is a bit like the matters of Rau and Alvarez, where I said, ‘If there is one problem, there might be more; let’s go and have a look and clean it up.’ The office of workplace safety in Canberra said, ‘Let’s go and have a look.’ So they did.

They found 48 restaurants in Canberra underpaying or not providing appropriate entitlements to employees. But how many of these 48 restaurants had 457 visa holders on their books? Only six of the 48 restaurants that were underpaying in Canberra had 457 visa holders in them. How many employees did the audit find were being underpaid? There were 164. How many of them were 457 workers? Absolutely none. Why is that? It is because the Filipino 457 visa holders had the courage to raise the issues in a way that others did not. Because it was investigated and because they were not indentured, this audit was undertaken.

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lundy interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lundy, come to order!

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

Senator Lundy, who has been a bystander and a parasitic commentator in this matter, said that without the involvement of the union and of federal Labor in parliament, these vulnerable workers—these poor Filipino people who could not do this themselves—would have remained unrepresented, underpaid and exploited. That is not true. The government began investigating this matter because the visa holders raised it with the government—not because the Labor Party raised it; not because the union movement raised it; but because the workers raised it. Seeing a good story, Senator Lundy, in a parasitic fashion, jumped on. She wanted her moment in the sun.

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lundy interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lundy, come to order!

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

What has happened is that, because we had some Filipino workers who did have the courage to go and dob in employers who were doing the wrong thing, a further audit has been done. And what have we found? In the restaurant and catering trade—guess what? Australian workers are being underpaid. What did the union movement do about that? Why, when workers in restaurants in Canberra were being underpaid, did Senator Lundy not raise the issue of Australian workers?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Until you got involved, the Office of Workplace Services weren’t doing anything.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Lundy, I have asked you three times to come to order. I ask you again: come to order. Senators on my left, cease interjecting across the chamber.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Twice Senator Vanstone has referred to Senator Lundy as parasitic. I am not usually very sensitive about these issues and neither is Senator Lundy, but, given that you are concerned about uproar in the chamber, it seems to me that that might explain why there is some uproar. You have twice chosen to ignore that. As I said, I do not generally raise points of order about descriptions, but you might think about how they might impact on behaviour in the chamber.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If Senator Vanstone uttered those comments and they are unparliamentary I will ask her to withdraw, but I could not hear anything for the noise. Also, Senator Evans, I hope you were not reflecting on the chair. I do not think that would be your intention, would it?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raised a point of order. You can choose how you would like to rule on it. That is the point I make.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You were saying that I should have ruled. I did not hear it. I could not hear it for the noise, honestly.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know why you could not hear it, because the rest of the chamber did. I understand that sometimes the acoustics in here vary. I do not question that you did not hear it, but I have now brought it to your attention. I have asked you to rule on it.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have already said that if Senator Vanstone used unparliamentary language I would ask her to withdraw it. I did not hear what she said because there was so much noise in the chamber.

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

On the point of order: I have been in this place before when people on the opposite side have done what I regard as a particularly scummy thing when you have not heard; they have said, ‘I didn’t say that. I don’t remember.’ I did say she was a parasitic commentator. If you regard that as unparliamentary—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do.

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

I will withdraw it.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

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

Nothing more than that.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I noticed that while you were on your feet, trying to call the chamber to order, you had some trouble catching Senator Vanstone’s attention, as she was clearly not addressing the chair. You were on your feet for some five or 10 seconds, waiting until Senator Vanstone actually started to address the chair. My point of order is: could you ask the minister to address the chair.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Quite frankly, that is a bit rich coming from you, Senator Conroy, who completely ignore my calls for you to come to order. Senator Vanstone, would you return to the question, please.

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

I was just making a point about Senator Lundy’s contribution to this. I have something to say about my concern about the racist overtones that have come into this debate as a consequence of the Labor Party’s comments. If Senator Fierravanti-Wells would like to ask about the racist overtones, I would be happy to discuss them. I think this is— (Time expired)

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister referred to alternative policies. Can she explain to the chamber why she will not be implementing the alternative policies referred to in her answer?

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

I will indeed explain. There are alternative policies that seek to focus on foreign workers. The meaning of ‘foreign worker’ is other people, not us. For a multicultural, immigrant country to talk about foreign workers instead of skilled migrants is to use a pejorative. It is in fact racist. This is the old Beirut, Bombay, Beijing attitude coming back—none of the Blackpool, Birmingham and Bristol. Nobody minds if you come from Blackpool or Birmingham or Bristol, but if you come from Bombay, Beijing or Beirut then you are in real trouble.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong interjecting—

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

There is no way that this government will change its non-discriminatory immigration policy and its skilled migration policy, which brings into this country the skills Australia needs. You brought people in to put them on welfare queues. We bring them in to build Australia.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Wong, come to order. Senator Vanstone, address your remarks through the chair.