Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for La Trobe for bringing forward this important motion on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, or PALM. I fully support this motion and echo my colleagues' sentiments. The PALM scheme is not only a vital workforce solution for our agriculture and regional industries; it is also an important diplomatic initiative for relations with our international neighbours. The scheme holds particular significance for my electorate of Dawson, which boasts a large farming industry and whose largest winter crop includes tomatoes, beans, corn, capsicums—and let's not forget the famous Bowen mangoes. I'm pleased the PALM scheme enjoys bipartisan support. I commend the government for continuing to back this initiative, which was established under the previous coalition government. However, it is essential that we don't just maintain this program but invest further in its growth and refinement. The need is real, and the benefits are profound.

The PALM scheme was launched by the previous coalition government in 2021 to address the growing and persistent challenge to recruit seasonal labour in key industries. The scheme was introduced to streamline and consolidate previous schemes while creating better access to international workers for sectors like agriculture, meat processing, hospitality and aged care—industries that often struggle to attract enough local workers, particularly in rural and regional areas. As a third-generation tomato farmer myself I've experienced firsthand the difficulty of finding reliable seasonal labour. It was a constant challenge—one that many of my neighbours and fellow farmers across the country still face today. Crops don't wait; they must be planted and harvested within a narrow window. If there's no one to do the picking, the produce is left to rot in the fields and drop on the ground. That's a loss not only for the farmer but to our supply chains and ultimately to the household budget of every Australian.

The PALM scheme provides certainty. With a reliable and willing workforce, farmers can plan with confidence. They know they can plant a full crop and have the hands they need to harvest it. Without that certainty, many are forced to scale back, and when supply drops, prices go up. It's the simple law of supply and demand. Labour shortages for rural and regional Australian farms mean high grocery prices at the checkouts. Weather and market volatility already make farming unpredictable enough. Removing the stress of finding workers through the PALM scheme makes a real difference in the day-to-day operations of farms right across Australia. The scheme is also helping to address critical skills shortages in other sectors. From aged care to food services to hospitality, regional and remote businesses often struggle to find people, and they need to keep operating. The PALM scheme fills these gaps with workers who are ready, capable and eager to contribute. Many employers invest in on-the-job training—building skills that last a lifetime—whether the workers return home or stay on for longer placements.

But the benefit of this program extends far beyond our farms and the checkout. It is an important program for partnerships with our regional neighbours. The PALM scheme provides workers from participating countries with the opportunities to earn significantly higher incomes than they could at home. These workers then use their earnings to further support their families and invest in their own communities, and often return home with new skills and financial security. The scheme is also a massive boost in international diplomacy and affirms Australia as a key leader in the region. The PALM scheme is a true partnership program in a time when geopolitical influence in the region is increasingly contested. Programs like the PALM are not just economic policy; they're good foreign policy.

There are many success stories: workers who have gone home to start businesses, support relatives through school or build houses. Others have stayed on through extended placements and become integral parts of the Australian communities they serve. It's a model that uplifts individuals, communities and industries, both here and abroad. That is why I strongly support the continued advancement and expansion of the PALM scheme. So let's look after the PALM scheme. If it ain't broke, let's not try to fix it.

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