Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McGrath for his question. Yes, I can shed light on this important question. Those opposite say that there will be a flood of foreign workers if the free trade agreement with China is passed. It is a fact that other free trade agreements have been in place for a number of years now. So let's look at how these have impacted on the number of foreign workers who have come to Australia.

The union campaigns that are currently running would have you believe that free trade agreements directly lead to an influx of foreign labour. This is simply not borne out by the facts. The current CFMEU campaign targets diesel mechanics. In 2008-09, the year when the Chilean free trade agreement came into effect, the total number of diesel mechanics in Australia from Chile on a 457 visa was zero. In 2012-13, this skyrocketed to one! Last year, it was back to zero.

The same CFMEU ad campaign also mentions that we will be flooded with electricians. Again, let's look at the facts. In 2011-12, when the Malaysian free trade agreement was signed, the number of Malaysian electricians in Australia on a 457 visa was two. In 2014, after the agreement was well in effect, have a guess how many there were. There were zero.

I am sure by now Senator McGrath is wondering why the Labor Party is so concerned with the China free trade agreement when it was not concerned previously when agreements were signed with Thailand, Chile, Korea and Japan. Where were the union campaigns when these free trade agreements were signed? They were nowhere to be seen. Bill Shorten should stop running the CFMEU's xenophobic campaign of lies and misinformation and pass the free trade agreement, because it will not lead to a flood of foreign workers but will lead to a flood of jobs for Australians.