1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Now throughout well yesterday actually we learned that a pretty 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: extensive announcement had been made around agriculture visas and well 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: visas for those traveling into Australia to try to well, 4 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: I guess, support some of the different workforces that have 5 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: really been struggling following on from the situation with COVID nineteen. 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,440 Speaker 1: We on numerous occasions have spoken tow NT farmers and 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: heard about the struggles that they've had when it comes 8 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: to finding people to do some of those picking and 9 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: packing jobs. Now joining me on the line to tell 10 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: us about some of these changes in the plan that 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: they've got in place, well really to reintroduce these visas 12 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 1: so that we're able to hopefully fill some of those positions. 13 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: It is the Deputy Leader of the Nationals and Minister 14 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: for Agriculture, David little Proud. 15 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Good morning, thanks for having me. 16 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: Minister, thank you so much for your time this morning. 17 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: As I was saying, we've spoken to NT farmers on 18 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: numerous occasions, it has been a real difficulty here in 19 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: the territory over the recent months and since COVID kicked 20 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: in to fill some of those jobs of picking and packing. 21 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: How has this changed to the visa going to assist 22 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: us here in the territory. 23 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, there's already and it's important to appreciate there's 24 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 2: already twenty five thousand men and women available from the 25 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 2: Pacific nations that have come in the world. Haven't all 26 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: come in. There's been about ten thousand those twenty five 27 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 2: thousand that the states and territories are brought in, so 28 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 2: they're still available. They're unskilled workers. The new ag visa 29 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: not just covers unskilled workers, it goes to semi skilled 30 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: and skilled as well, So it's complementary to our Pacific 31 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 2: scheme and looks to countries in the Southeast Asia as 32 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: well as the UK. Obviously it was part of the 33 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 2: negotiations the National Party had with the Liberals of the 34 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 2: UK Free Trade Agreement. So this is transformational. This is 35 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 2: the biggest structural shift in agricultural labor in our nation's history. 36 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: So what we're doing is trying to bring in the 37 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 2: next generation of micro to live in regional Australia and 38 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 2: to grow regional Australia, to grow agriculture. Because what we're 39 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 2: doing is also giving these migrants an opportunity or pathway 40 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 2: to permanent residency. So we want them to be part 41 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: of Regional Australia. And we're saying that if you come 42 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 2: here for three years and then commit to do a 43 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 2: further period after that two years plus, then you're more 44 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 2: likely to stay in Region Australia. You're more likely to 45 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 2: stay in agriculture, be part of the community, and you'll 46 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,119 Speaker 2: stay on and you'll solve the structural problem we've got 47 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: in agriculture around not just picking packing fruit, but also 48 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 2: the skilled and semi skilled jobs in other parts agriculture 49 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 2: and fisheries and forestry and even in the processing sector. 50 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 2: So this is not just a short term solution, because 51 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: we're going to have it up and going by the 52 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 2: thirty September. It's a long term solution around chance shifting 53 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 2: away from the backpacker model to a model that are 54 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: citizens that want to live here in Australia and be 55 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 2: part of our future. 56 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: And Minister will it also is it also going to 57 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,799 Speaker 1: impact in hopefully a positive way, the hospitality industrial. Does 58 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: it not sort of go that far? 59 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 2: Well, we already made moves around the working holiday maker 60 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 2: that it's if you're going above the tropic of Capricorn, 61 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 2: so Northern Australia, which I'm also the Minister for, or 62 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:19,519 Speaker 2: you're into remote areas Western Queensland or Western Usuals, then 63 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,839 Speaker 2: the requirement to do the eighty eight days in agriculture 64 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 2: is not there. So that there was opening up a 65 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 2: pathway to work in the hospitality sector in the north 66 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 2: of Australia, and that was an important change we made 67 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 2: only a couple of months ago, so we've got to appreciate. 68 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: But we're under about thirty thousand backpackers in the country now. 69 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 2: Before COVID there was about one hundred and sixty thousand, 70 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 2: so long term that we'll be able to bring that 71 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 2: back and support the tourism industry and the hospitality industry, 72 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: but just in the short term, we're obviously trying to 73 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: keep as many of those backpackers in the country as 74 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: it possibly can because we know the constraints just not 75 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: in agriculture, it's also in hospitality and tourism as well. 76 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: Minister. I know that there'll be some territories this morning 77 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: going why do we need to bring people from another 78 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: country to fill these jobs? Why can't we get Aussies 79 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: doing these jobs? But in a lot of cases they're 80 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: actually positions that we just simply haven't been able to fill, 81 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: aren't they Oh, they can't be filled. 82 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: Australians either don't want to do this work or they're 83 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 2: too far away. You don't understand where a lot of 84 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 2: our unemployed Australians are thousands of chiometers away. And much 85 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 2: of this work is seasonal, so you've got to have 86 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 2: a transient lifestyle. Can't have family commitments because you might 87 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 2: start up in Darwin picking mangoes and then once they're finished, 88 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: you move over to Bowen for the next part of 89 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 2: the season. Then you'll work your way downstro at Bunderberg 90 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: and eventually end up in shepherds and picking apples. So 91 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 2: the challenge we've got is that while we've got unemployed 92 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 2: Australians out there, not all of them are clients. We've 93 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 2: incentivized them to try and to try and take these jobs. 94 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 2: About four thousand have taken up the incentives to travel 95 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 2: and we will reimburse up to six thousand dollars of 96 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 2: their travel costs. Four thousand men and women will not 97 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: cut the mustard. We're saying, just in horticulture alone, there'll 98 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 2: be a thirty thousand shortfall by February March next year. 99 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 2: It's already in the twenty thousands now, and that's why 100 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: we're encouraging not just to bring in Pacific workers where 101 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: there's shortages, but also work off this new ag visa 102 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 2: because farmers can't sit a ound. Wait if it's ripe, 103 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 2: it's not rip in the paddy. It has to get 104 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 2: to your plate and we can't bring people from thousands 105 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,119 Speaker 2: of chiometers' way just on a whim. But we tried everything, 106 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 2: We've thrown the kitchen sinking and these jobs are still 107 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: market testing. Well. I'm poort to know that Australias still 108 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 2: get first crack at these jobs before anyone's bought in. 109 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: Minister. One of the things that has been a big 110 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: issue for us in the top end or all around 111 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: the territory, and I know that you would have spoken 112 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: to Nta farmers and others about it, Senator Sam McMahon 113 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: as well, is the fact that you know with some 114 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 1: of these jobs we've then been trying to obviously in 115 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: Tea farmers have been trying to bring some of that 116 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: workforce into the territory and haven't been able to have 117 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: somewhere for them to quarantine or that quarantine has been 118 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: a real difficulty. Has there been much movement in this 119 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 1: space sort of in the short term. 120 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 2: Well, we've been trying to work with states and territories 121 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 2: and they wanted to maintain ownership of quarantining of agricultural 122 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 2: workers and we respect that because they own health protocols 123 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 2: and which people have to quarantine. Each state's doing a 124 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 2: little bit different. In South Australia they create their own 125 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 2: facility and now doing in country quarantining for venta latten workers. 126 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 2: In Queensland they're doing on farm to a small scale. 127 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 2: So every state's done a little bit different. In New 128 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 2: York's in your territory. In the Northern Territory they're using 129 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 2: how it springs. There's also a facility at Blading Point 130 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 2: that Northern tantric government leases and it looks as over 131 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 2: Western Australian government, well quarantine are they're grain harvest workers there. 132 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 2: But it's come back to what the agreement was a 133 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 2: national cabinet by First Ministers was the industry and states 134 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 2: and territories would decide how it would be done. They'd 135 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 2: share the responsiblebility and the cost of that. We've said great, 136 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 2: you go and look after it. We found twenty five 137 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 2: thousand minute when from the Pacific that can come. Now 138 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: we're going to give you find you more through the 139 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: ag visa through Southeast Asia and the UK that can 140 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 2: come will stamp the visas, but your chief Health officers 141 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 2: and premiers and chief ministers have to approve it. 142 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: So we're going to have sorry, just to go back 143 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: to that point, the WA government is going to be 144 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: quarantining some of those workers at Bladon Point. How soon 145 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: is that going to happen? Because I know that's something 146 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: that we've been talking about here in the territory and 147 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: NT farmers have been flagging for quite some time as 148 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: being a spot where they could potentially have people quarantine, 149 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 1: but it had never been sort of approved or it 150 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: had never gone ahead. 151 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 2: Well, this is a relationship between WA and Northern Territory. 152 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 2: We simply stay away from that. We allow them to 153 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 2: work it through because their agreement is that the states 154 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 2: and industry work through the quarantining arrangements. They organize it 155 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 2: and pay for it between the two of them. Western 156 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 2: Australia don't want a quarantine you they're foreign workers in WA. 157 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,239 Speaker 2: They have a risk aversion to that. Their Chief Health office. 158 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 2: So they've gone to your government and said, well, why 159 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 2: can't we use blading point And as I understand that 160 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 2: there's negotiations taking place as we speak between WA and MT. 161 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 2: Now whether that extends for it to remain open after 162 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 2: WA use it, that's a matter for the Northern Territory 163 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 2: government and Westernustralian government to get to it, to get 164 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 2: to an agreement on We simply say that once you 165 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: get an agreement and you can and you can say 166 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 2: your chief health officers come to with it, we will 167 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 2: stamp the visa. That is the protocol that the premiers, 168 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 2: chief ministers and Prime ministers agree to a national cabinet. 169 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: Well, we might have to catch up with the Northern 170 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:41,959 Speaker 1: Territory minister to try and find out a bit more 171 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: detail about that. Hey, just stump back to those agriculture visas. 172 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: How quickly are these going to come into place? 173 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 2: Well, they will be determined by how quickly we can 174 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 2: get the bilateral arrangements with the countries in negotia. Because 175 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 2: you got to understand what we might offer a visa. 176 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 2: It's up to their sovereign country to decide whether they 177 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 2: want their people to be to take them up or not. 178 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 2: So those discussions will start to take place as we speak, 179 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 2: and we're targeting those countries that we already have close 180 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,199 Speaker 2: ties with and immigration ties with so that we could 181 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 2: expedite it. But we're hoping that soon after the thirty September, 182 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 2: when we expect this all up and going is it, 183 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: we'll have some of those bilaterals agreed to by other 184 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,199 Speaker 2: countries and if they've done that, then effectively it'll be 185 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 2: a matter of industry finding those people that they want 186 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 2: in the skill sets and then working through the normal 187 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 2: process with the states around quarantining and we will stamp 188 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 2: for visas well. 189 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: Deputy Leader of the Nationals and also the Minister for 190 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: Agriculture and Northern Australia, David little Proud. Good to have 191 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: you on the show this morning, mate. We'll have to 192 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: catch up with you again at some point. 193 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm hoping to get up there in the 194 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 2: next couple of weeks before things being equal, so I'm 195 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 2: trying to get back to the territory up about a 196 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 2: month ago, but I'm trying to get back up to 197 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 2: have another good look around on Sagaday. 198 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: Oh good stuff. Well, we'll catch up with you then, 199 00:09:57,040 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: Thanks so much. For your time this morning. 200 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 2: Thanks for having thank you