New Australian Governemnt

[TeeTMI]

For those who have been following Australian Politics there was an election and Australia has a new government.

Immigration has not been an issue of this election so there is not anything significant at this time.

Copied below are the new governments comments on immigration from within their manifesto

 

For anyone interested this was taken from the Labor manifesto which can be found at https://alp.org.au/media/2594/2021-alp-national-platform-final-endorsed-platform.pdf

 

Building a stronger nation through migration
80. Labor believes that migration plays an integral role in building prosperity for all Australians. Labor's post-war migration program brought millions of people together to build a stronger country. It is one of Labor's proudest achievements. A strong but fair migration policy offers education, jobs, prosperity and citizenship, combined with opportunity, safety, security, rights and responsibilities. It provides the perfect recipe for a better Australia.

 

81. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural nations on earth. Labor will ensure Australia's migration favours permanent over temporary migration, to create a nation of people with equal rights and a shared interest in our national success.

 

82. The size and composition of Australia's migration intake will take into account net overseas migration, its effects on employment and training opportunities for Australian residents, demographic trends and other factors, while responding to current and longer-term economic needs.

 

83. Labor's priority is to ensure that job opportunities are offered to local workers first and that temporary migration will never be used as a means to undercut local wages, conditions and training opportunities. Skilled temporary migrants can help Australian businesses to thrive but will only be used where a verifiable skill shortage exists.

 

84. Labor will restore public confidence in Australia's temporary migration program and ensure that temporary migration does not adversely affect the employment and training opportunities for Australians, particularly young people who suffer from higher rates of unemployment and underemployment.

 

85. Labor will reform the regional migration program and encourage skilled migrants to take up jobs in rural and regional locations only where skill gaps exist. Migration programs such as Australia's Pacific labour mobility arrangements can also play an important part in Australia's international relationships and development assistance policies. As part of our commitment to the Pacific, we will review the Pacific labour mobility scheme to ensure Pacific islanders are given fair wages and are protected from exploitation.

 

86. Too often, temporary migrants end up exploited or underpaid with some employers abusing the system for cheap and disposable labour. Labor will always ensure that measures are implemented to protect all migrants from exploitation, including:

a. requiring temporary migrants to be paid in accordance with Australian awards or enterprise agreements and to have their wages paid into an Australian bank account;

b. ensuring temporary migrants are protected by Australian workplace law and are not exploited through sham contracting or unethical labour hire practices give them; and

c. offering them 'whistle-blower' status if they are providing evidence of exploitation.

87. Labor will combat all forms of people smuggling, trafficking and exploitation—by boat, plane or other means—to ensure visa and work scams are not being used to gain access to Australia's labour market.

 

88. Labor will ensure that no migrant is 'permanently temporary'. We will align the permanent and temporary migration programs and ensure that, where appropriate, migrants have pathways to permanent visas and citizenship. We will encourage temporary visa holders to consider permanent residency where the visa holders are working under successful arrangements and have priority skills which are in shortage in Australia.

 

[Riekie]

Thanks for sharing!