Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP has welcomed the Federal Government’s backflip on ill-advised changes to the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility Scheme after the Nationals strongly advocated against the now-defunct minimum weekly hours of work requirement.

From July 1 growers will now be able to offer 120 hours of work averaged over four weeks to workers employed under the PALM, rather than the previously mandated 30 hours per week.

“Despite warnings from the Coalition and industry bodies, last year Labor ploughed ahead with unworkable changes to the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM), jeopardising our agricultural industry and our foreign relations,” Dr Webster said.

“Labor have been forcing employers – in many cases horticultural farmers – to guarantee 30 hours per week. Mallee farmers that grow the world’s freshest produce could see Labor’s deep-rooted failure to comprehend the seasonality and weather factors that dictate the hours a PALM employer can provide.

“The Nationals led by Michael McCormack, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific exposed these flaws in Senate Estimates and in Questions in Writing to the Minister and strong media advocacy which has turned the tide.  I highlighted the folly of the 30-hour-week concept many times, as far back as July last year. Many Mallee farmers had also come to me distressed by the changes, yet another of a plethora of disconnected and productivity-lowering policies.

The Government only backflipped after seeing a decline of 10.2 per cent in short-term workers and 10.4 per cent for all PALM workers in agriculture.

“Yet again Labor has been mugged by reality, their ideological experiments in regional Australia falling flat at great cost to our economy and communities.  Labor are well-exercised on the backflip, dragged by the Coalition Opposition into make embarrassing changes to their tin-ear electric vehicles policy, gas supply measures and their abysmal handling of dangerous immigration detainees.  The Coalition understands economies and good governance for all Australians,” Dr Webster said.

“I will continue to fight against red tape that makes things harder for Mallee farmers.”

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