THE new Federal Government will honour the previous government’s initiative for the Australian Agriculture Visa agreement with Vietnam, Member for Mallee Anne Webster has revealed.
Member for Mallee and Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Development Anne Webster said this was a “huge relief” for farmers in Mallee who were in desperate need of labour.
“The Ag Visa was put into law by the Coalition Government because it was a good solution to a big problem,” Dr Webster said.
“The Labor Government’s decision to immediately scrap it was handed down without proper justification, and was a result of the influence of the Australian Workers’ Union.
“After many calls from the Nationals to confirm the visa agreement with Vietnam, the government has done so quietly as it takes them out of step with their political masters, the AWU.
“In this time of critical labour shortage, the government needs to open up the opportunity for more countries to participate in the program, rather than minimising the initiative.
“Farmers have had to carry additional stress throughout COVID with closed borders that occurred for two years.
“It is time to open up and for Labor to acknowledge and accept the Ag Visa is a great initiative, with a pathway to permanency for those who come on this particular visa.”
The National Farmers Federation has warned that without rapid solutions to workforce challenges, Australia would be vulnerable to price and supply shocks in the food supply chain.
“We know that we’re short at least 172,000 workers across our food supply chain,” president Fiona Simson said. “We’re seeing this manifest in higher prices and supply disruptions on supermarket shelves.
“This isn’t just a farmer problem anymore. It’s a burning cost of living and food security issue that needs urgent attention.
“Farmers have been waiting for answers for years. We waited for the Ag Visa, we waited for the election, and we waited for the Jobs Summit. We’re sick to death of waiting.
“We’ve been feeling the pinch of worker shortages for longer, and more acutely, than any other part of the economy. We cannot be pushed to the back of the queue, it’s time to deliver solutions.”
