Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before moving general business notice of motion no. 265, I wish to inform the chamber that Senators Bilyk, Lambie, McKim, Polley, Whish-Wilson and I will also sponsor the motion. I also seek leave to amend the motion.

Leave granted.

I, and also on behalf of Senators Brown, Bilyk, Lambie, McKim, Polley and Whish-Wilson, move the motion as amended in the terms circulated in the chamber:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the Department of Home Affairs employs over 100 dedicated and hardworking Tasmanians to process visa applications,

  (ii) this is crucial work that ensures the integrity of our visa processing system and is the cornerstone of our sovereignty as a nation,

  (iii) privatisation of Australia's visa system would threaten the livelihoods of over 100 Tasmanians and their families, and

  (iv) privatising Australia's visa system will lead to increased costs of visas, greater risks of worker exploitation, data security breaches and will make protecting national security more difficult;

(b) condemns the Federal Government for auctioning Australian jobs off to the highest bidder, and for undermining the integrity of our visa processing system and our nation's sovereignty; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to guarantee the protection of these 104 jobs in Tasmania, and the 2000 jobs across Australia, which will be lost under the Morrison Government if Australia's visa system is privatised.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

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 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. This process is not being driven by a desire to reduce departmental staffing or cut costs. Claims that this process will lead to wholesale job losses and office closures are simply false.

Question agreed to.