After the Liberals last week rejected a National Party cabinet proposal to introduce a new class of visa aimed at addressing a purported shortage of farm workers, the Nationals have hit back, claiming they desperately need 100,000 migrant farm workers. From The Australian:
Michael McCormack has increased pressure on Scott Morrison to find a quick-fire solution to the farm worker shortage, warning there are not enough Pacific Island workers to get the agriculture sector through the summer months…
Nationals have expressed frustration with Mr McCormack’s leadership on the junior Coalition partner’s proposal, which would source up to 100,000 overseas farm workers a year…
“The National Farmers Federation says we need about 100,000 workers. I appreciate that the South Pacific provided last year just a little over 6000 workers so obviously there is a big difference between what the South Pacific islands provided … and what is required this summer”…
There are two existing visas for agricultural workers from the Pacific: (1) the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP); and (2) the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS).
The SWP, which has grown some 40% per year, allows workers from the Pacific or Timor Leste to pick fruit and vegetables for up to six months:
Whereas the PLS, which has operated for only one year, allows Pacific Islanders to work in regional Australia in any sector for up to three years.
Given regional employers can already hire SWP workers to meet their short-term needs (up to six months) and PLS workers for their long-term needs (up to three years), there is little rationale in extending agricultural visas to Asia, especially given these proposed visas were also touted as being “more flexible” (read more open to exploitation).
The Liberals were correct to reject the National’s special pleading.
