Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is directed to Senator Vanstone, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. Can the minister confirm information from her department on occupations filled by 457 visa holders that 43 waiters, 77 domestic housekeepers, 251 personal assistants and 1,594 elementary clerical workers entered Australia on the visa last year? Isn’t it the case that none of those occupations are on the list of skills shortages prepared and published by her department? Isn’t it the case that only 107 carpenters, 31 bricklayers, 25 plumbers and 13 plasterers were issued with 457 visas out of the total of 50,000 people who entered on that visa last year, and aren’t all those occupations actually on the skills list issued by the department? Don’t these figures prove that the 457 visa scheme has little to do with addressing skills shortages and is simply a free-for-all allowing some employers to seek new sources of cheap labour?