Source : Perth Now news
Angus Taylor has backed tweaking generous British backpacker arrangements while attacking Anthony Albanese for raising it with the UK’s prime minister.
British nationals are exempt from regional work – such as farm jobs and mining – under working holiday visa terms agreed by the former Coalition government, in which Mr Taylor was a minister.
There are also no caps on the number of visa holders, resulting in annual grants sitting at almost 80,000.
NewsWire understands Prime Minister Anthony Albanese plans to pitch reinstating mandatory regional work for British working holiday-makers when he meets his UK counterpart Andy Burnham in Antigua and Barbuda this week.
Asked on Monday if he supported revising the terms, the Opposition Leader at first ignored the question and accused Mr Albanese of having “lost control over our borders” and looking to “Andy Burnham to try to fix the problem”.
“This Prime Minister needs to take control and fix the problem,” Mr Taylor said.
“His open borders policy has failed.”
He went on to outline “who should be able to stay in the country”.
“People who can contribute, people who have the skills we need,” he said.
“People who have the ability to make a go of being here in Australia and ultimately, we want to see them become Australians – that’s the focus.
“People who share our values. But the Prime Minister doesn’t get this.
“He needs to get control of our borders here in this country and going and having a talk with the UK Prime Minister to get him to fix the problem for us, I don’t know where that’s going to land.”
Asked again, Mr Taylor said the Coalition did “want them doing rural and regional work” and claimed it is “a centrepiece of our policy” despite the opposition’s migration plan making no mention of British backpacker arrangements.
Pressed further, he repeated the claim.
The Coalition’s four-year migration plan would initially cut Australia’s net intake to 100,000 before lifting it to 160,000.
To do so, it would slash 650,000 temporary visas in what Mr Taylor has touted as “the biggest cut to immigration” in Australian history.
Businesses and industries across the country blasted the pitch when it was unveiled last month, warning it would “damage” the economy.
They have also criticised the Albanese government’s plan to drop net overseas migration to 245,000 this financial year and 225,000 by 2027/28 through an overhaul primarily targeting international students.
