Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost in south-eastern states in recent months, especially in manufacturing, due in large part to pressures from the mining boom, like the high Australian dollar. In my electorate there are many people who have lived in Australia for years and now call this country home. Many of them are desperately seeking meaningful work. Why aren't recently retrenched workers in the unemployed and underemployed category going to the head of the queue for jobs on mining and resource projects, and why can billionaires like Gina Rinehart set our immigration policy and avoid having to employ locals?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Melbourne for his question. In answer to his question, his constituents—and every other resident of Australia—are at the front of the queue for the jobs at the Roy Hill project. This $9.5 billion project will require over 8,000 workers in the construction phase over the next three years. As part of the agreement struck by the government they must employ at least 6,700 Australians in those positions. The agreement enables them to employ up to 1,715 457 visa holders if they are unable to source those workers in Australia. My department will audit Roy Hill every six months to ensure they are complying with the agreement—including ensuring they make every effort to recruit Australian workers. I understand Roy Hill is about to begin a very comprehensive and substantial recruitment program in Australia and all Australians will be able to apply for one of the 6,700 jobs that this government has ensured will be delivered.

Another myth which is the subject of the honourable member's question is training requirements. As a result of this government's assistance, under the Roy Hill agreement, Roy Hill must create 2,000 training places for Australians, including 230 apprenticeships with a special emphasis on mature age Australians just like the ones the honourable member refers to. As I said before, perhaps most importantly of all this agreement was necessary to ensure these jobs were created in the first place. This EMA delivers on what EMAs were meant to deliver when the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce recommended them in 2010 and when the budget announced them in 2011. Without the assurance of the enterprise migration agreement there was a very real risk that this project would not proceed at all. The confirmation of the project is very good news indeed for Australian workers. The sheer size of the expansion in projects means that there will be workforce shortages over coming years and these agreements are a key way the government ensure that the projects are delivered. They will be delivering export earnings for Australian workers for many years to come and jobs for any Australian who wants to work in the resources sector.