Morrison spruiks Enterprise Migration Agreements

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Created on Wednesday, 13 February 2013 13:15

Written by Editorial staff

Shadow minister for immigration and citizenship Scott Morrison has likened the Roy Hill mine project to the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme to advocate Enterprise Migration Agreements.

The member for Cook discussed how between 1949 and 1974, up to 100,000 people - many of whom were born overseas - came to work on the scheme, to construct a power station and dam system which consists of 225 kilometres of pipelines and aqueducts.

Mr Morrison said that the project was worth $8 billion to the Australian economy in today's money.

Of all the workers on the hydro scheme, 70 per cent were from overseas - including countries such as Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Britain, Poland and Yugoslavia.

Warragamba Dam in Sydney is another example of migrant workers coming together to build something wonderful, Mr Morrison added, with employees from 25 different nations working to create the holder of Sydney's water.

He explained how an Enterprise Migration Agreement for the Roy Hill development was a good is good for Australia.

Mr Morrison elaborated: "This project is worth $9.5 billion to Australia, will employ more than 6,000 Australians and requires a maximum of 1,700 foreign skilled workers.

"Under the agreement, the company will provide up to 2,000 training places for Australians, including 230 apprentices and trainees and preparing 110 Indigenous Australians for work in construction."

This speech was in response to a proposed bill, entitled 'Protecting Local Jobs (Regulating Enterprise Migration Agreements) Bill 2012'.

The bill simply appears to add more regulatory burden to an "already over complicated arrangement", Mr Morrison said.

Scott Morrison has laid blame for a reduction in productivity at the feet of the government as a result of over regulation.

Of the agreement, the shadow spokesperson said that English requirements are standard under normal 457 immigration visas - with a review every six to 12 months, while migration law ensures that overseas workers are provided with the same working conditions as regular citizens.

But with the government never being able to get the agreement signed, Mr Morrison said, the Green Party will have nothing to be concerned with and Labor will lose face - again.

"When they go out there and talk to investors, they say one thing and announce grand schemes and policies only to never be able to follow through," the shadow spokesperson said.

He added that given new immigration minister Brendan O'Connor's past union history, there is little hope of getting the scheme off the ground.