Guest worker program may be expanded

August 18, 2008

Pacific nations are queuing up to take part in Australia's pilot guest worker program but will have to wait at least 18 months before Canberra considers expanding the scheme.

The government has confirmed it will offer 2,500 visas to workers from Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to come to Australia for up to seven months a year to work in the horticultural industry.

August 19, 2008

For Australia, several industry sectors including transport, mining, health and aged services are experiencing shortages of high and low-skilled labour. The National Farmers Federation recently released a report restating its view that the sector requires an estimated 100,000 additional workers. The NFF has called for temporary entry for unskilled workers to fill an unspecified number of jobs (possibly 70,000) in industries such as horticulture. Given Australian demand for low and unskilled labour and the Pacific supply of young people wanting work experience and higher wages, one may wonder why there would be any opposition.

When you factor in the white flight from rural jobs, which will follow the arrival of guest workers, pretty soon you'll find that most rural jobs will be handed over to foreigners. Many white Australians will regard the rural industry as yet another no-go zone to avoid. The rural sector will become largely white farmers and their immigrant workers. Once again, the white community is left asking: is there any place to call home? Is there any native title for us? Social cohesion is bulldozed by economics.