Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

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Thank you, Deputy Speaker

The Migration Amendment {Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Bill 2025 marks a significant and necessary advancement in strengthening our temporary skilled work visa program whilst protecting migrant workers who contribute so much to our nation. I am firmly in support of this bill and the progressive reforms it brings under the Albanese Labor government's migration strategy.

This legislation represents a crucial step forward in strengthening protections for migrant workers and ensuring our temporary skilled work visa program operates with the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and accountability.

Australia has long been a nation built on migration. From the earliest days of settlement to the diverse, vibrant communities we cherish today, migrants have played an indispensable role in shaping our identity and fuelling our economic success. The hardworking people who come to our shores bring with them skills, aspirations, and the hope for a better future—not just for themselves and their families but also for the communities that warmly welcome them.

Yet, despite their contributions, too many migrant workers have been subject to exploitation and unfair treatment. The temporary skilled work visa program, while essential to meeting the needs of our economy, has at times been exploited by unscrupulous employers, leaving workers vulnerable and undermining the integrity of our migration system.

This bill acknowledges those challenges and responds with a practical, accountable solution: a publicly accessible register of approved work sponsors.

This register empowers migrant workers by providing an accessible tool to verify that their sponsoring employer is legitimate and compliant with regulatory standards. Too often, workers face uncertainty about who is sponsoring them and whether their jobs are genuine or safe. By publishing the name of each approved sponsor alongside their Australian Business Number, business postcode, number of sponsored workers, and the occupations being sponsored, the Department of Home Affairs offers transparency that was previously lacking.

This is more than just a list—this is a shield for migrant workers. It is a safeguard that enables workers to make informed decisions about their employment and shields them from exploitation. Abuse thrives in darkness; transparency shines a light and deters misconduct.

This register also supports government oversight and enforcement. It offers regulators an up-to-date, publicly verifiable source of information, enhancing their ability to detect and prevent misuse of the visa system. It complements existing compliance tools, strengthening the integrity of our visa programs.

By ensuring that only reputable employers can sponsor workers, we protect the reputation of Australia's migration system and help maintain community confidence. Australians rightly expect that migrant workers are being treated fairly and that the jobs filled by temporary skilled visa holders are genuine, necessary, and lawful.

Moreover, this bill aligns perfectly with the Albanese Labor government's broader migration strategy, which aims to create a smarter, fairer visa system that better meets Australia's economic needs.

As the Member for Pearce, I know firsthand the importance of skilled workers to our regions. Wanneroo is known as the "food bowl of the north" due to its long history of agriculture and its role as a significant food producer for the Perth region.

Today, Wanneroo's agricultural industry is booming, feeding not only its local population, but also the greater region of Perth. In fact, Wanneroo contributes 38 per cent of the total gross value of agricultural commodities produced in Perth and accounts for a significant percentage of vegetables and fruits grown in the region.

Wanneroo provides 17.5% of Western Australia's total vegetable production, the vast majority being sweet corn and more than 90% of the tomatoes and avocadoes. It is also a key region for exporting vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, and Chinese cabbage to Asia.

From healthcare professionals in our hospitals to tradespeople building infrastructure, to market gardeners in our agricultural regions, migrants fill critical gaps. Their skills help businesses thrive and communities grow.

But this relationship must be built on mutual respect and trust. Workers come here to contribute, not to be exploited or used as a means to bypass fair employment standards.

This register also sends a strong message to employers: we value your compliance with laws that protect workers and our communities, and the government will be watching closely.

Those who exploit workers will be increasingly exposed and held accountable.

It's also important to remember the broader human aspect of this issue. Every migrant worker who is exploited represents a failure of our system and a breach of our values. They deserve dignity, fairness, and safety. This bill supports their right to feel safe in their workplace and in our society.

By reducing exploitation, we also foster better workforce stability and encourage skilled migrants to stay and contribute long-term, supporting Australia's future economic growth and social cohesion.

In an age of digital transparency, governments must harness information to protect vulnerable people and strengthen systems. Opening this register is a proactive step that not only helps detect problems but prevents them from occurring in the first place.

The information disclosed in the register strikes a careful balance between transparency and privacy. It provides key data needed by workers and the public without exposing sensitive or commercially confidential information.

The Albanese Labor Government has consulted extensively with stakeholders including migrant advocacy groups, employers, and unions to ensure this legislation meets the needs of all parties involved.

To my fellow parliamentarians, I say this: supporting this bill means affirming Australia's commitment to a migration system that is fair, transparent, and accountable. It means standing up against exploitation and ensuring our visa programs work as intended—to strengthen our economy and support workers' rights.

Australia can be proud of its multicultural legacy and the migration system that supports it. But pride alone is not enough. We must act decisively to address the vulnerabilities faced by our migrant workers. This bill is a vital part of that action.

In closing, the Migration Amendment (Combatting Migrant Exploitation) Bill 2025 is a practical and important reform that improves protections for migrant workers and enhances the integrity of our temporary skilled visa program and I commend this bill to the house.

Thank you.

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