Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

Does it remind me of my youth? It doesn't at all! I was probably the worst footballer that Junee ever exported, Laurie Daley being the best. But I'll move on!

The things that bring our nations closer together are our love of rugby league and rugby union and our shared culture and religion. They are the things that bind us together. It is something that makes us uniquely Australian and Pacific. Of course, the Pacific islands love the State of Origin. Unfortunately, all too many of them support Queensland!

PALM is providing enormous benefit to Australia—to workers, families, wider communities and workers' home countries. We've heard many stories about how PALM worker remittances help build housing for families and improve access to health and education services in home countries. Health is so important. I know when I went to PNG it was such a struggle for women to get cervical cancer treatments. I was glad I was able to do something in that regard to bring those vaccinations and those treatments on sooner such that they don't need to be having Third World medical services and treatments when they are on our very doorstep. I say thank you to the government for listening in that regard.

These outcomes are a positive for all the partnerships that belong in the PALM sphere, with Australia and our Pacific island nation neighbours and partners working together cooperatively and collaboratively. The PALM scheme was and still is a lifeline for Australian businesses and also a vital option for workers in the Pacific during COVID. I shouldn't say that in past tense because COVID is still with us. It is still, unfortunately, afflicting many and it is still, unfortunately, taking lives. We work through it, and we work together with the Pacific nations on it.

I well recall, when I sat in those meetings with the then Prime Minister, with the then Treasurer and with the then health minister—the former member for Flinders—the efforts of those people in particular. The former Treasurer, the former member for Kooyong, was the best Treasurer we've had in recent times. I say that knowing the member for Cook was in those meetings, too, and he was a pretty good Treasurer as well, but the former member for Kooyong should still be with us. I remember the efforts that they went to to make sure that the vaccinations were available in the Pacific island nations, and I can remember the absolute commitment by the member for Cook and the former members for Kooyong and Flinders to make that possible and to make that happen, and that saved lives. Yes, it came at a cost, but what cost do you place on a life?

I am so pleased and proud to have served with those people—and to still be serving with the member for Cook—for what they did for the Pacific during those very, very dark days. Most people will never know about those dark days, but, trust me, those meetings were pretty grim, and those members of parliament at that time stood up magnificently and they supported the Pacific like never before. During the pandemic, as other countries shut their borders, I'm proud that Australia continued to welcome those workers to our shores because it was mutually beneficial for both our economies.

On the second part of this bill relating to the Pacific engagement visa, PEV, the coalition will reserve its judgement pending the outcome of negotiations which are ongoing with the government on the mechanism by which the government seeks to operate the PEV. The coalition's view on the proposed ballot is well known, but we appreciate that the government is thus far indicating a willingness to work with the coalition on alternative mechanisms which do not provide immediate permanency through a random ballot selection process. We hope these negotiations can conclude constructively in the interests of Australia and those Pacific island nations which seek to be part of the PEV along with Timor-Leste. I thank the House.

Debate adjourned.

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