Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I second the member for Kennedy's amendment. He is indeed a passionate supporter of rural and regional Australia. He does draw to our attention, though, a very important concern in regard to the removal of the 88-day farm work clause for backpackers visiting Australia. In listening to the member for Kennedy, I guess I would say that what he paints is such an extraordinary picture of rural and regional Australia as a place that would be of enormous benefit for backpackers from the United Kingdom to come and experience. Indeed, the member for Wannon made a similar point about travelling and working in each other's countries as being so important as a cultural exchange.

But more important than that is that we're now in an environment with an historically low level of workers out in rural and regional Australia. We've got the highest worker shortages that we've experienced in a very, very long time, and this isn't just an immaterial thing. This is an incredibly important thing when we look at our food production. The member for Mayo described quite powerfully the impact this has on things like our cherry crops, our viticulture and our cattle production. The role that international backpackers play is important.

The member for Kennedy hasn't just described a problem; he's actually come forward with some really important propositions, and one is that, before this is enacted—before we do remove this 88-day farm work clause—there needs to be some serious investigation into the impact this will have on farm workforce. I applaud him for that. He also suggests that if this change to our visas proceeds then we need to see some serious and targeted investment from our government into an advertising program that makes it clear to our international backpackers that there's real opportunity, real experience and a real need for them to come out into rural and regional Australia.

He highlights that it could be very easy for international backpackers to just arrive in Sydney and spend all their time on Bondi Beach. While Bondi is a great place to be, getting out into northern Queensland, coming into my electorate of Indi or getting around rural and regional Australia are extremely important experiences but, more than that, really valuable to our farming communities. I second this amendment from the member for Kennedy and thank him for raising this concern here in the House.

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