The Federal Member for Hinkler David Batt MP has called out Labor’s pause on visa applications for working holiday makers.
In a speech to Parliament, Mr Batt said the system slowdown is hitting Hinkler hard.
“It’s hurting hospitality, it’s terrible for tourism and it’s failing our farmers,” Mr Batt said.
“We need a system which supports young people from overseas to fill labour shortages while travelling in Australia.”
Mr Batt said the Hinkler economy relies on holiday visa makers and Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme workers to keep our agricultural sector alive.
“These workers are an integral part of getting our crops to market. We also rely on these holiday visa makers to sustain our tourism sector.”
“I’ve recently met with our tourism leaders in both Bundaberg and Hervey Bay, and I’ve heard directly from local farmers – Labor must return to normal visa processing timeframes and restore faith in the system,” Mr Batt explained.
“The migration issues and pressure on housing aren’t related to holiday makers and backpackers. The Labor government is simply deflecting from the real issues on migration. That’s why the Coalition has a plan for less migration and more homes.”
Mr Batt discussed the visa challenges with Queensland Tourism Industry Council CEO Natassia Wheeler (QTIC) in Canberra this week.
QTIC supports the position agreed this month by the Australian Tourism Industry Council and every state and territory tourism industry council:
Working Holiday Makers and other longer-stay visitors should be recognised for the distinct role they play in Australia’s visitor economy when governments consider migration and visa policy settings.
Ms Wheeler said policy settings needed to recognise the difference between temporary visitors and longer-term migration.
“Queensland shouldn’t have to trade away jobs, visitor spending and business capacity so a national number looks better,” Wheeler said.
“These are temporary visitors who come to Australia to travel, spend and, for a limited period, work while they are here. Treating them in the same way as longer-term migration for policy purposes risks distorting the picture and pushing the government towards measures that could have unintended consequences for tourism and the broader economy.”