Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Amanda Vanstone. Will the minister advise the Senate whether there are any signs of an increase in the use of temporary skilled migration by state and territory governments? Will the minister also advise the Senate of the consequences of not having an effective program to allow temporary skilled workers into Australia? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies?

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

I thank Senator Bernardi for a very sensible question. He clearly recognises the value of the immigration program to the Australian community and in particular the use of temporary skilled migration. Yes is the simple answer in relation to Senator Bernardi’s question. There is very strong support for the 457 visa. There is no better indication of that than the use of the visa by state governments. I have said in this place before that state governments use around nine per cent to 10 per cent of the 457 visas around Australia. When I went to have a look at the figures for the first quarter of this financial year, it was interesting to see that the state governments—some of whom lend support to my colleagues opposite in being critical of this visa—have been using it a bit more.

I thought that I would have a look at Queensland. What do you reckon has happened up there in the Labor state of Queensland? In the first quarter of this year, their usage went from 9.8 per cent to a whopping 17 per cent. This visa must be terrible! The Queensland government cannot get enough of it. And yet their colleagues opposite come in and criticise it. In my own state of South Australia, the usage went from 2.4 per cent in the previous year up to 11 per cent. That is a 300 per cent or a 400 per cent increase. Even in the ACT, that bastion of liberalism, it went from a mere 17 per cent up to 21 per cent. So, yes, Senator Bernardi, there has been an increase in the use of this visa.

You asked me, Senator, what the consequences of not having an effective migration program might be. I have made this point before: if you do not have an effective migration program and you have skills shortages, there will be a wages breakout. Senators on this side will remember senators on that side complaining about that. ‘You’ve let the cat out of the bag! Shock! Horror!’ said Senator Wong—following, I note, a line that she got from Stephen Smith; she did not think of it originally. It is such an original line: ‘The cat’s out of the bag.’ Skilled migration will help keep wages down. I was painted in this place as being the demon of all demons, because why would we keep wages down? We know the old Labor line, don’t we? When you need 150 electricians and you have only 100, the solution is to put up the wages of the 100 that you have. That is what you do: you have a wages breakout, you fuel inflation and then—guess what—interest rates go up. I have sat here and I have dutifully put up with the sledging from the other side on this matter. I put up with the attacks because I do not really mind. It does not really worry me. If they want to display their ignorance, that is okay.

I thought that I would have another look at other things people have said. It is important to note that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom understands this issue. He had to explain it to his trade union, too. What he pointed out was:

The last two decades have seen a transformation of what is happening in our world economy. You should remember in everything you do that fairness at work starts with the chance of a job in the first place …

This is Mr Blair talking to the unions. He went on and said, as quoted by Matt Price in his column in July of this year:

You have a responsibility to people who are unemployed as well as employed …

Mr Blair might come and join us. He would be welcome. Labor have never understood this. They have always wanted to put prices up. I have a little bit more to say about this, Senator Bernardi. I have something more to say about the consequences of not having a proper skilled migration policy.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Order! There is too much noise in the chamber. Senator Vanstone, your time has expired.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I was wondering if the minister would care to elaborate a little further about the consequences of not having a skilled migration program.

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

I thank Senator Bernardi for that question, because there are consequences if you do not have a skilled migration program. There are consequences if you say, ‘We’ve got a skills shortage, so we’ll put everybody’s wages up.’ I was surprised to find that even Mr Beazley agrees. They come in here and say: ‘That’s terrible—you’re using migration to suppress wages.’ What a terrible thing to use skilled migration to keep wages at a reasonable point! I quote from Mr Beazley’s media statement of 10 may this year:

Industry groups and Labor agree the Australian economy desperately needs more skilled workers to relieve upward pressure on home loan interest rates.

So, if you want to know why the Labor Party’s polling is down, it is because you cannot run two arguments at one time. What you need to learn is to do what this government does. You need to learn what the Prime Minister does—that is, say what you think, argue your case, stick to your guns— (Time expired)