SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Fed Labor renews foreign worker visa push

The federal opposition is again pushing for changes to the foreign worker visa program and wants jobs to be advertised locally first for four weeks.

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Labor has turned its attention back to visas for foreign workers and is calling for Australian employers to try harder to give jobs to locals.

The opposition wants jobs to be advertised locally for at least four weeks as part of changes to the 457 visa program.

"Our obligation is to employ people here with the skills and if they don't have the skills our medium and longer term ambition must be to train locals with those skills," employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor told ABC radio on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull accused Labor of "breathtaking hypocrisy".

Opposition leader Bill Shorten issued a third more 457 visas while he was employment minister than have been granted over the past year, and twice as many in the construction sector, the prime minister said.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"Bill Shorten was in the Olympic grade of granting 457 visas," he told reporters in Melbourne.

"This leader of the opposition is a rank opportunist, he is completely hypocritical on this issue."

Pauline Hanson said Labor was taking its cues from One Nation in its Australia-first approach to jobs.

"Australian workers, our culture, everything should be first - and to come out with this rhetoric now I'm not happy with it," she told ABC radio on Tuesday.

Senator Hanson said a lot of Australians were irate over the number of 457 visa holders and she wanted to see the program end.

"I blame Labor but I blame the Liberal party as well for the state of our country."


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world