Zed Seselja (ACT, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

The Seasonal Worker Program and the Pacific Labour Scheme are the centrepiece of Australia's Pacific step-up and engagement in the region. The remittances sent home by Pacific workers are a key source of family and national income in the Pacific, and these will be even more integral to the pandemic recovery and future growth of Pacific economies. Through the streamlining of the programs, we are committed to growing Pacific labour mobility participation. Our Pacific and Timor-Leste partners should be confident that we remain committed to growing our Pacific labour programs. These initiatives are hugely beneficial for Australian farmers and our Pacific family, and the government is committed to building on their success. We know from the great feedback, from Far North Queensland to Tasmania, that the Pacific will continue to be the priority partners for the Australian government and for Australian farmers for many years to come.

Senator O'Neill interjecting—