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Federal MP Dan Tehan has moved to quell fears the replacement of 457 visas will impact on key south-west industries.
Mr Tehan said the meat processing and agriculture industries would not be negatively affected by the creation of a new temporary skills shortage visa.
“There’s no question that foreign workers, where we have skill shortages, have played a very important role,” he said.
“With the meat industry and other key agricultural industries, which rely on foreign workers, obviously there will be special consideration given to those industries with these changes.”
The Wannon MP said he personally knew workers who had gained permanent residency and integrated “extremely well” into the community.
“The strength of Australia has come from the different cultures that have made us,” he said. “Whether that be Indigenous culture, whether that be Anglo-Saxon, whether it be the other countries of migrants who have contributed to our nation, that ability for us to integrate, which has made us such a unique nation and the greatest place to live on Earth.”
State MP Roma Britnell said she had employed many foreign-born workers on her dairy farm and invited people from countries such as Ecuador, Peru and Ukraine to stay in her home.
“For us it was more about bringing other cultures into our home and exposing our family to other cultures from overseas,” Mrs Britnell said.
“We want to employ Aussies first, but if we can’t and 457 visas are the next best option, then we’ve got to get fruit off the trees and we’ve got to get cows milked. I endorse the [federal] policy but I do not want to see our farming community compromised. I don’t think we will, I don’t think the changes are going to do that.”
The new temporary skills shortage visa will take effect from March 2018.