John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Brandis. In recent months there has been much discussion about the rorting of our 457 visa program, and among them are concerns that 457 visa holders are filling vacancies which otherwise could have been filled by Australians and that many of these people have been exploited by unscrupulous employers. Can the minister outline how many Fair Work claims were made by 457 visa holders in the last financial year and how many claims were upheld?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Madigan, for that question and thank you for the courtesy of giving me some advanced notice of it. I do not accept, Senator Madigan, your implied assertion that 457 visa programs have been rorted. Indeed, the former minister, Mr O'Connor's claim that there had been in excess of 10,000 cases of abuse of 457 visas had, by his own subsequent admission, no basis in fact.

The government is fully committed to ensuring that the subclass 457 program acts as a supplement to and not a substitute for Australian workers. We have been clear that this government fully supports the principle that Australian workers take priority. What the government does not support, however, is needless and inefficient red tape, which is hampering productivity, adding costs to business and hampering growth and jobs. An effectively managed temporary labour migration program will not threaten Australian jobs; rather, it will secure the future of business and grow employment opportunities to enable businesses to employ more Australians. An effectively managed 457 program is essential in supporting employers in industries and regions experiencing skill shortages. It is essential in restoring growth in the economy and it is essential in lifting our productivity.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Brandis, there is a discussion going on in the front here, which is making your answer inaudible.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Senator Madigan, coming directly to the numbers you seek, I am told that the number of Fair Work claims made by 457 visa holders in the 2012-13 financial year were as follows: 259 complaints were completed by the Fair Work Ombudsman relating to 457 visas holders and, of those 259 complaints, 33 per cent were sustained.

John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that over 2,000 domestic students graduate as accountants here in Australia, can the minister outline how many people were employed as accountants on the 457 visa last year?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Senator Madigan, I can. I can tell you that, as at 31 December 2013, there were 1,647 subclass 457 primary visa holders in Australia whose nominated occupation was 'accountant'. There were 1,452 primary subclass 457 grants in the occupation of accountant in the calendar year 2013.

John Madigan (Victoria, Democratic Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the fact that the 457 visa program is clearly a dog's breakfast, what future plans will the minister adopt to ensure less workplace abuse by employers of 457 visa holders and more employment opportunities in professions where 457 visa holders are not really required?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, I have to dispute the premise of the honourable senator's question. The 457 program is an efficient and effective contributor to the nation's productivity and is essential in supporting Australian employers where they cannot find a suitably skilled Australian worker to do the job. Far from being a dog's breakfast, it is simply not appropriate to claim that, because of the actions of a very small proportion of employers who are doing the wrong thing, the entire program is broken. What this government has done, rather than simply pluck numbers from the air and demonise foreign workers like previous Labor immigration ministers did, is commission an independent review of the 457 visa program to ensure that it is well positioned to support employers and industry and to optimise productivity growth in the Australian economy.