The Hon Alan Tudge MP is currently acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs
Subjects: Working holiday makers supporting bushfire-affected areas; coronavirus protections; National Party leadership
DARREN CHESTER: Well, it's great to be here at the property of Elaine Schaeche, just at Sarsfield about ten minutes out of Bairnsdale. I welcome my great mate and ministerial colleague, Alan Tudge. Thanks Tudgey for coming here today as well. And Kevin Butler from BlazeAid. It's a very important announcement in terms of how we're going to continue to support my community, the community of Gippsland, as it recovers from the bushfires.
People like Elaine have had a lot of losses over these last six weeks. Elaine lost her own family home which she'd had for more than 40 years, but also all her fencing. What we're announcing today is a way for more of the working holiday visa people who are in our community already, how they can actually assist with the bushfire recovery.
It's a huge job ahead of us right across Gippsland, right throughout regional Australia, to help our communities recover. I thank you, Alan, for taking the time to come down here today. I want to thank you for the work you're doing behind the scenes to get support for my community as the rebuild is under way. So, with those few words, Alan, I'll leave it to you for the announcement.
ALAN TUDGE: Thanks so much Darren, and thanks for joining us as well Kevin, and all the great work which you do with BlazeAid. We need all hands on deck with this recovery effort, and that includes people who are out here on backpacker visas. To that end we're making it easier for backpackers to be able to make a contribution to the bushfire effort. We're doing three things to that end.
One, we're enabling a backpacker to work for 12 months with a single employer, rather than the normal six months. Now typically, we only ask people to work for one employer for six months so that they can move around and in terms of other locations. Now they'll be able to work for 12 months in one location. That means, for example, if you're a farmer out here, you've had a backpacker working with you for the last five and a half months, and you're worried you're just about to lose that person - that person will be able to stay on for a further six months during the recovery effort.
Second change we're making is we are including building work as part of the definition of specified work which a backpacker is able to do as part of their visa. Now typically, that wasn't part of the conditions, now it will be, and again, that means that we'll have more backpackers being able to do the fence building, the building of the houses, other construction work which is so desperately needed in the bushfire areas.
And the third thing, though, which is directly related to BlazeAid and other volunteer organisations, is that we are changing the rules so that a person can do their three months of voluntary work rather than paid work, and yet still qualify for a second year visa. Now, typically we ask people to do three months of paid work in a regional area if they want to get a second year visa, a working holiday maker visa. We're now changing that to saying that you can do voluntary work for three months and you'll still be eligible for that second year visa. The work has to be in the bushfire affected areas, it has to be with a registered organisation such as BlazeAid. But what that will mean is that we'll be able to access - and hundreds of backpackers who want to come out here and make a contribution, help out for a few months, just like a couple of backpackers are doing here, and yet still that will qualify them for a second year working holiday visa here in Australia.
So, these are three very practical changes which we are making in order to facilitate more people helping out with the bushfire recovery efforts. There is so much work to do. We need all hands on deck, and that includes the international backpackers who we know want to make their contribution as well.
KEVIN BUTLER: Well, the new legislation is going to be an enormous boon for BlazeAid. Historically, BlazeAid is for 60 to 65 years of age. They work on fence lines right throughout the fire-ravaged areas. Their knees and ankles may not be the best. When these new people - the young backpackers - come along, they uplift the spirits, the strength, and the lives of people who've lost so much from the fires. We're able to build great relationships and camaraderie with them. We're going to get that fencing done a lot quicker. I think of all things that have happened in BlazeAid in the last several years; this measure brought in by the Federal Government is going to be the - I guess, the muscles which is going to help us rebuild far quicker than what we would have ordinarily done.
There's been quite a massive interest internationally with the bushfires. A lot of young people have wanted to come out and help. They can come out now. It's all going to be accredited to their 88 days. We've got BlazeAid bases from Kangaroo Island to the Queensland border, approaching 40 to 45. And the communities are going to be so much better off. We're going to get the work done far quicker. BlazeAid is just really, really appreciative of the work of the Federal Government in getting this across the line. Can't thank them enough.
JOURNALIST: Minister, is this likely to be a sort of standing provision - standing rules for any disaster in Australia now?
ALAN TUDGE: Every disaster is considered case by case. Certainly, the extending from six months to 12 months had been used before, but the other two measures hadn't. But we have to assess each one as it comes, and what the needs are.
JOURNALIST: And so you talk about building work, does this specifically have to be for the backpackers in a bushfire-affected region?
ALAN TUDGE: Yeah, that's right.
JOURNALIST: And have you got a map or a sort of [indistinct]?
ALAN TUDGE: It's the bushfire-declared areas, including the LGAs, which have been bushfire-declared areas.
JOURNALIST: And how many people are you anticipating will take this up?
ALAN TUDGE: It's very difficult to know, to be honest, what the answer to that question is. There's probably about a third of all working holiday makers do stay on for the extra year. And to do so, under the previous rules, you had to do three months of work in a regional area. Now, as I've said, you can do three months of voluntary work with an organisation like BlazeAid and still be eligible for that second year working holiday visa. So we hope it'll be in the hundreds of people who will want to come out and make a contribution, and therefore, they'll be eligible to stay on for a second year.
DARREN CHESTER: I might just add to that Alan. Thanks, Richard. From the Master Builders Association, which is already undertaking skill mapping, we know we're going to have a shortage of skills in places like Mallacoota, and Mallacoota has got 100 homes that have been destroyed. In an average year in Mallacoota, we might have built 5 or 10 homes. It's going to require a huge effort to support the local builders but also other tradies who will come to town to help locals rebuild their permanent homes in those places. So, we certainly welcome the capacity to get more skilled workers in our areas under the backpacker program as well.
JOURNALIST: How long will this program last? Is it in effect from today, or does it need legislation [indistinct]?
ALAN TUDGE: So, there's three measures here. One of the effects - the measure from six months to 12 months is just a ministerial decision, which I have made effective of today.
The other two measures will require an instrument to be tabled but that can be done in the next few days.
JOURNALIST: Just with a different hat on, if I could ask -
ALAN TUDGE: Any other questions on this?
JOURNALIST: In terms of the backpacker visas, I mean, there's already been concerns in the past about working conditions. Are there going to be extra protections put in place, I guess, this time round when you're looking at kind of different industries getting involved?
JOURNALIST: The normal protections are in place under the Fair Work Act and the Fair Work Ombudsman. Everybody, if they're employing an Australian or a foreigner, has to abide by Australian law and there are serious consequences if they don't.
JOURNALIST: But in the past, we've seen that that's been not the case and backpackers, in particular, have been taken advantage of. So what are you doing, I guess, now?
ALAN TUDGE: Well, again, I mean, we've boosted the resources for the Fair Work Ombudsman, and they have to do the right thing, and anyone who's aware of people not doing the right thing should call Fair Work Australia.
JOURNALIST: Just with your immigration hat on, if I could. What checks and balances are in place for Chinese workers coming in by ports, not just the planes, in terms of the coronavirus?
ALAN TUDGE: So, like on a cargo ship or something like that? So, typically, if a cargo ship arrives, you might have some foreign nationals on it. They'd be on a transit visa. Now, since the new measures have been put in place, we're cancelling those transit visas for Chinese nationals, and we're asking them to stay on the ship while the boat is docked at an Australian port. Now that occurred over the weekend. It did so successfully, and that will be in place until the ban is lifted.
JOURNALIST: A New South Wales firefighter has claimed he's been sacked by the RFS for speaking out against the Prime Minister. Is this concerning for free speech?
ALAN TUDGE: That's the first that I've heard of it and there's rules in relation to unfair dismissal. If he feels as if he's been unfairly dismissed, then he has avenues available to him.
JOURNALIST: And Darren, are you confident that Michael McCormack will be your leader in the next election?
DARREN CHESTER: I've got every expectation that Michael McCormack will lead us to the next election and beyond the next election. Michael has been re-elected leader of our party room three times in two years. The last election, the National Party held every one of its Lower House seats and did a great job under Michael's leadership. He continues to have the overwhelming support of the party room. He certainly has my personal support. I think he's doing a terrific job in very difficult circumstances, in the fires, the droughts that we've experienced in recent times. There's a lot of pressure on regional Australians, and the more the National Party focuses on the people that send us to Canberra, the better we'll go, and I think that's the message to my colleagues.
JOURNALIST: Your message is to stop stirring trouble?
DARREN CHESTER: My message to my colleagues is remember why you were sent to Canberra in the first place. You were sent to Canberra to fight for your community, not fight amongst yourselves. Michael McCormack is doing a great job. He's had the support of the party room now three times in two years. The issues of the last couple of weeks are done and dusted. Move on, focus on issues that matter to regional Australians.
JOURNALIST: And do either of you two have time to get out and help BlazeAid build some fences?
DARREN CHESTER: Well, I think it's in the interest of every farmer in Gippsland if I don't touch their fences if they want to maintain their stock and keep them in good shape off the roads, they'll keep me away from the fences. I'll perhaps support them by buying them a beer at the pub afterwards.
ALAN TUDGE: Alright. Thank you.
[ENDS]
