Show us where the real demand for farm labour is and we’ll deliver an ag visa in the “medium term”, just don’t expect it to be in place for this season.
That’s the message from Prime Minister Scott Morrison who addressed the National Farmers’ Federation annual congress this morning.
Mr Morrison said he was committed to solve farm labour problems, but more work was needed to ensure careful design of the new visa conditions.
“We support moving toward an ag visa - there's never been any question about that. But we have to go about it in the right way, It’s not a silver bullet or solve any problems in the forthcoming harvest,” Mr Morrison said.
Horticulture lists chronic labour shortages as the biggest issue impacting its productivity.
The government has been heavily criticised for failing to address the gaps in the farm workforce, after ag sector lobbying over the past year had gone unanswered.
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Mr Morrison urged farmers to register their labour needs with the National Harvest Labour Information Service.
“I need to know where are the jobs, when do they start, how long they run for, what they are paying?” Mr Morrison said.
Where there’s a mismatch between jobs needed and those available to do it, we will move swiftly.”
Mr Morrison, a former Immigration Minister, said any new visa category must be robust to prevent misuse by immigrants and the rorts which he had seen occur among a few bad apples in the ag sector.
“Illegal workers, cash work, illegal work - I won’t put up with it and I know you won't put up with it,” Mr Morrison told the congress.
“If we get it wrong we’ll just end up with more Uber drivers in Melbourne.”
Mr Morrison said he had a three point plan to improve access to farm labour this season.
Last weekend, Mr Morrison announced welfare recipients who turned down a job offer without a reasonable excuse would lose their payment for up to four weeks.
There are three elements. Firstly, farmers register their needs with the National Harvest Labour Information Service.
Labour demands are linked to government’s Jobactive welfare program so “fit and able” people are placed in farm vacancies.
Finally, any gaps left in the farm workforce would be filled with Working Holiday Maker visas and Pacific Island labour schemes.
National Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson said the PM’s welfare plan is destined to fail.
“Of course we want Australians to fill jobs on Aussie farms. Farmers have been trying to do that for years. But the reality is this latest attempt is unlikely to bear fruit (or get much picked for that matter),” Ms Simson said.
Mr Morrison singled out Deputy Prime Minister for his work on the ag visa, and criticised unnamed players who made promises from the sidelines.
Mr McCormack has been forced in recent days to defend his leadership, after media speculation over a leadership spill to install former Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce, or Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.
“I want to congratulate Michael McCormack for being the champion on this issue and working on this issue in a strategic way.
“If you’re not focused on actually getting a result, then what’s the point?”