Louise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the Migration (Sponsorship Fees) Bill 2007. This bill will ensure the validation of the collection of sponsorship fees for certain temporary visas which were collected between 1 May 1997 and 23 May 2007. The temporary visas include: subclass 415, foreign government agency; subclass 418, educational; subclass 420, entertainment; subclass 421, sport; subclass 422, medical practitioner; subclass 423, media and film staff; subclass 427, domestic worker; and subclass 428, religious worker. All these temporary visas require sponsorship.

In May 1997 changes were made to the Migration Act and regulations where the visa application charge was introduced. However, an amendment to regulation 5.38 was overlooked. I wish to acknowledge the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship’s attention to detail and his willingness to acknowledge and correct this oversight. There were certain visas where an application charge was not required until the visa applicant’s sponsor was approved. However, a fee for sponsorship is still required when seeking approval from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. This bill will ensure a single measure to validate a collection of sponsorship fees under regulation 5.38 in relation to visa applications made on or after 1 May 1997 and before 24 May this year. With more than 440,000 passengers and crew crossing Australia’s borders every week, it is imperative that the immigration system maintains its integrity. From 23 May, the Migration (Sponsorship Fees) Bill 2007 will enable the lawful collection of the sponsorship fees. The bill will also ensure that fees paid up to that time are validated and will ensure that regulation 5.38 will operate in the way it was originally intended to.

The coalition government, with strong support from the community, has a very successful migration program. The Howard government recognises that a successful economy requires balance, and this includes a balanced migration program. Under Labor between 1993 and 1995, skilled primary migrants had an unemployment rate of 25 per cent after 18 months, compared with today’s figure of only three per cent. From an economic point of view, not just for Australia but also for those who have migrated here as skilled migrants, this did not provide benefits. A balanced migration program includes a well-planned mix of migration entries, including refugee and humanitarian, temporary skilled, working holiday, tourists and permanent residents. The Australian government recognises that we have an ageing population as well as a growing economy. This is why it is important that we encourage new migrants with skills to come to Australia and contribute to our workforce, our community and our economy.

In the late 1960s, new residents from Malta, Italy and Greece came to Australia and laid the foundations for the Australia we know today. I have many Maltese immigrants living in my electorate of Greenway, and some of them helped to build Warragamba Dam and the Snowy Mountains scheme and provided Australia with trade skills we needed. During recent decades, other migrants who have settled in Western Sydney from the Philippines, India, Asia and greater Europe have already made significant contributions to our economy and in setting up businesses and employing fellow Australians. People come to Australia because they seek what Australia stands for: our freedoms and our opportunities. This is why we need a well-planned, well-managed migration program that ensures that Australia will remain economically prosperous and secure at our borders. I welcome the opposition’s support of this bill, and I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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