Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

Quite simply put, these are workers who have left their families behind for several months at a time. I feel and I hope that it is only human for us to see the importance of safeguarding the workers who come here from nations who are our Pacific friends, to work in jobs, to fill labour shortages in Australia. These are workers who have travelled to an unfamiliar land with an unfamiliar industrial relations system, who can easily fall victim to unscrupulous behaviour. Looking at this another way entirely, treating workers from any one of our Pacific friends with respect and dignity can go a long way to ensuring that more continue to do so. And it would certainly go a long way to restoring and strengthening Australia's bonds with and reputation in those nations in question.

Whilst I may be taking an old and regrettable quote from the member of Riverina out of context, workers from the Pacific do come here to pick our fruit. They also staff aged-care homes, where there are a multitude of jobs in dire need of filling immediate-term vacancies. I urge those opposite to respect our Pacific neighbours and the workers who put in the hard yards for the promise of their toil on our lands leading to a better tomorrow for their families.

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