Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister seen a report in today’s Australian Financial Review that a Sydney company, ABC Tissue, has brought in 24 Chinese workers for the construction of a new plant in Wetherill Park? Is it not the case that these workers have entered Australia on 457 visas, on the basis that they have specialist skills which are in short supply in Australia? Is the Prime Minister aware of claims that there are Australian workers able to take on these jobs who have done other jobs for ABC Tissue? Is the Prime Minister also aware of claims that these Chinese workers do not possess the skills referred to on their visa applications? What action will the Prime Minister take to have these claims fully and properly investigated?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did see the report and I am informed that these allegations are being investigated jointly by the department of immigration and the relevant state and federal agencies. On 16 June this year, the department’s officials in Guangzhou met with representatives of the Hunan Industrial Equipment Installation company to discuss the allegations. On 20 June, the department and the Office of Workplace Services will visit ABC Tissue to make further inquiries. On 23 June, the department will meet the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union to discuss further the issues they have raised. Occupational health and safety concerns have been referred to WorkCover New South Wales. The department takes, so I am informed, all allegations of exploitation of workers and the inappropriate use of the temporary skilled migration program very seriously. All allegations are fully investigated and, where they are proven, appropriate sanctions are applied. In other words, there has been a full, prompt and, I believe, to date, unarguably an effective investigation in relation to these allegations.

There was some suggestion in the article and perhaps in some commentary that there had been some approach by way of representations by the Attorney-General to the minister to intervene. Let me say at no time did the Attorney-General make representations or discuss this case with the minister or the department of immigration. In no way did he try to influence the process. In other words, the allegations are being taken seriously and obviously the outcome of that investigation will be made known. If something wrong has happened, sanctions will be applied. If something wrong has not happened, then no sanctions should be applied. What fairer, more transparent, more decent system could you possibly have?