House debates

Thursday, 1 December 2016

Questions without Notice

Skilled Migration Program

2:37 pm

Photo of Jason FalinskiJason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the importance of ensuring the effective management of the 457 visa program and on how this demonstrates that the government is serious about protecting Australia's borders?

Photo of Peter DuttonPeter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for his question and for his interest in this very important issue. The Turnbull government has created 500,000 jobs and we are very proud of the fact that we put Australian workers first. The whole idea of the 457 worker program is that we put Australians into jobs, and if we cannot put Australians into jobs we allow the employers to look for workers from overseas to fill those jobs.

The Leader of the Opposition, before the last election, said that he wanted to put workers first. He was out there constantly saying, 'I'll put workers first.' This was his mantra. But, as it turned out, when he was the employment minister he did a secret deal with fast food outlets, including McDonald's, to fill hundreds of positions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and elsewhere with foreign workers, displacing local workers. So this Leader of the Opposition cannot be taken at his word. We also know that this Leader of the Opposition was out there at the time of the free trade agreement with China saying that it was a terrible thing. The CFMEU had instructed him that it was a terrible thing for Australian workers, and he was against ChAFTA. ChAFTA created many jobs and great trade opportunities for our country. But when the Leader of the Opposition was the employment minister he did another secret deal, bringing 850 Chinese workers into a mine in Western Australia. Again, the duplicitous nature of the Leader of the Opposition was exposed.

His colleagues know this because this is the way that he has conducted himself during his adult working life. Kevin Rudd knew it and Julia Gillard knew it, and many of those people behind the Leader of the Opposition have been doublecrossed by this Leader of the Opposition as well. But it gets worse for this Leader of the Opposition, because, again, he is claiming that he will be the champion of the workers and that workers will come first. But, in a classic own goal, he has introduced a bill into parliament this week in an attempt to try to play some political game around tightening the 457 visa program. His bill actually weakens the integrity measures of the 457 program.

All I would say to Australians who are really perplexed about this Leader of the Opposition is: he cannot keep a line from lunchtime to Lateline. That is what we know about this Leader of the Opposition. He does not have the ability or the integrity to stand up and be a leader of this nation, and that is why he has failed the fundamental test when it comes to protecting our borders. During the last election, this Leader of the Opposition had 26 of those who are sitting behind him chanting the same words that we heard those protesters chanting in this gallery yesterday, and for that he should stand condemned. (Time expired)