Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The government's crackdown on 457 rorts is really a sham and a con, and the budget estimates process shows that. The government's changes will not fix the widespread rorting of the 457 visa. Under the government's changes only eight per cent of visas granted will be affected. At least 18 of the occupations being removed from the list have not had visas issued in the last decade and 46 have not had visas issued in the last year.

As is usual with this government, this is a political stunt. It is not backed up by policy substance. It is a rebadging of the 457 visa program, just to give it a new name. The government's plan to get tough on foreign antique dealers and deer farmers is not going to make a scrap of difference to the abuse of 457 visas by companies bringing in cheap labour.

The minister and the government have rushed their temporary work visa announcement, and they failed to consult with businesses and industry. Even members of the minister's own Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration, MACSM, are unimpressed, with one member resigning over the lack of consultation on the skilled visa changes. Senate estimates proved the university sector was not consulted prior to the announcement, and we have seen a spokesperson for the Minister for Communications admit that there are 'unintended consequences' of the policy. Now we have a situation where, less than two months after the minister made this big announcement, he is reviewing the list with a view to adding jobs to the skilled occupation list.

Minister, how is this a crackdown? There have been no attempts to strengthen labour market testing, which the government mentioned they would do. What are the 'unintended consequences' of the minister's failed 457 visa policy? What is the minister going to do to fix these unintended consequences? Why has the minister failed to consult with industry stakeholders about the impact of the policy? Will the minister adopt Labor's policy and commit to genuine labour market testing? Will the minister concede that his failed policy may force innovation overseas? Can the minister guarantee that funding for the Skilling Australians Fund will be met regardless of any shortfall associated with the relevant visa levy? Can the minister guarantee ongoing safeguards to ensure that there is no exploitation of overseas workers under the new temporary skill visas? And why won't the minister simply support Labor's private member's bill to put local workers first?

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