Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Of course they would normally carefully assess them, but the minister then has to come here and put up with the sorts of attacks the Labor Party and their union mates continue to make. You could get some of your union mates to slip out to Charleville and look for a job, if you are so concerned about their welfare. Charleville is a great little town; you should go there some day. It is a western Queensland town. It is one of those towns that, because of the nature of things—dying is too strong a word—was not progressing as much as the people there might have liked. But then these two meat processing factories came along and, almost overnight, revolutionised the town, the employment opportunities and the community involvement. The Vietnamese families who are there, I am told, have become very much involved in the community. They are very much a part of the community and demonstrate how everyone can benefit from this scheme. I just wish the opposition would stop the nitpicking and the continuous attacks on the department, its officers and the minister—although the minister can put up with it. The continual nitpicking from the opposition is debilitating to the people who are doing their work and doing it in a very competent way with Australia’s interests in mind. Having said that, I again urge the minister and the department to deal with the visa applications as quickly as they can, and I urge the opposition to stop the baseless attacks on this proposal so that the department can get on with its work so that all Australians can benefit.

This bill is another step in ensuring that the right arrangements apply, that those who want to come to Australia to work are properly dealt with and that any offences and any breaches of the very strict regulations that the Australian government puts in place are very substantially penalised. This bill is a product of very long consultation and of development and, as I said earlier, deserves the support of all members of the parliament. I commend the bill to the chamber.