Page 3430 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 23 September 2015
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As I have said before, my federal Greens colleagues have initiated a broad-ranging Senate inquiry into Australia’s working visa system, focused on the impact of temporary work visa programs on the Australia labour market and on the temporary work visa holders, including the use of 457 visas.
The inquiry reviewed issues like wages, conditions, safety and entitlements of Australian workers and temporary work visa holders; the impact of Australia’s temporary work visa programs on training and skills development in Australia; whether temporary work visa holders receive the same wages, conditions, safety and other entitlements as their Australian counterparts or in accordance with the law; and the adequacy of the monitoring and enforcement of the temporary work visa programs and their integrity.
If agreed upon, the changes proposed under the free trade agreement could have long-term negative impacts in areas such as local training and employment, public health and safety, and our local environment. As I said earlier, we cannot just give a deal the “good for the economy” free pass. There are serious concerns that still need to be resolved. That is not to say that they cannot be resolved, but if we are to have these sorts of agreements, which offer opportunities to both countries, we need to make sure that adequate safeguards are in place and that, in the name of improving trade and trade liberalisation, we do not, to use the old expression, throw the baby out with the bathwater and lose some of these other things that need to be adequately looked after.
Of course, local business will hail trade agreements as a benefit. Robin Hendry said:
We absolutely welcome the free trade agreement and our members are keen to see it come to fruition …
That is fair enough. If you are looking at it through a straight business prism, those comments are appropriate. But I think even local businesses would want to know that some of the sorts of issues I have raised today are being adequately addressed. They would expect their governments to do that on their behalf, even in the context of improving business relations between our two countries. A view that looks at trade agreements from only one angle, that of potential exports, is too narrow. It misses the impacts on Australia, our domestic markets, our environmental regulations and our sovereignty in terms of making laws that protect our own citizens. It misses the potential impacts on the Australian manufacturing sector.
Whilst I agree with Mr Smyth that the city sister relationship has been a positive thing and has enabled us to foster improved relationships between the two cultures, I will not be supporting this motion today because I think the unhelpful insertion of a reference to the free trade agreement has muddied the water between the two issues. I want to be quite clear that I think the sister city relationship has brought benefits to both cities.
When it comes to Mr Barr’s amendment, I think that he has raised an important point. Whilst I agree with his observation about labour market testing, I do not think it is
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