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. I refer the Prime Minister again to ABC Tissue Products. Is the Prime Minister aware that fundamental workplace safety problems remain at the site, with unskilled foreign workers trying to make power tools fit a socket by stripping the cord and inserting the naked wires straight into the plug, as shown in this photo? Isn’t the real safety issue that this government has allowed 457 skilled visas to be abused by bringing in unskilled foreign workers with little or no English and who cannot follow basic safety instructions?

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

I am aware of the allegations that have been made and, as I indicated yesterday, proceedings have been taken. If there are breaches of the law, they will be dealt with in accordance with the law. But—while I am on my feet—given that this question and a number of questions are about 457 visas, I caused a little bit of research to be done on the subject of 457 visas. As I indicated yesterday, as of January this year the largest single user of 457 visas was the New South Wales Department of Health. Recently the New South Wales health minister issued a statement proudly declaring that almost three-quarters of the 1,000 nurses to join the New South Wales health system as a result of a 2005 overseas recruitment drive would be on 457 visas. The truth is that the eight state and territory Labor governments have facilitated this; they have been up to their armpits in these visas. Since 2002, South Australia has more than quadrupled its state sponsored skilled migration intake, Queensland has more than tripled it, Western Australia has nearly tripled it, and New South Wales and Victoria have almost doubled it. The ACT, Tasmania—

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

Ms Macklin interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is warned!

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

and the Northern Territory have increased their skilled migrant intake by 70 per cent, 50 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. What these figures demonstrate is the truth of the statement often made by my colleague the Treasurer: hypocrisy. Labor, thy name is hypocrisy. They have been up to their armpits, bringing people in under these 457 visas, but all the while at a state and provincial level, as if they were some other organisation, Labor governments have been busily taking advantage. That is fundamentally a common-sense proposition. I also remind the Leader of the Opposition of something he said when he was addressing—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lalor is warned!

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

He was addressing the ethnic communities breakfast. At least they let him speak, which was more than the Queensland Labor Party did at the Labor Party’s launch. This is what he had to say. He was talking about skilled migrants creating job opportunities for other Australians. This is what he said:

Far from—

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. The question is about whether or not these overseas workers—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The deputy leader will resume her seat. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

This is what he had to say when he addressed the ethnic communities breakfast on 24 July 1998. He said:

I would say the Leader of the Opposition then was speaking the truth. The great problem that the Leader of the Opposition really has is that we have the lowest unemployment rate in this country for 30 years and he cannot come to terms with it.