MEMBER for Mallee Anne Webster is ramping up her push for undocumented workers in Australia to be granted temporary visas to help address the massive shortage of horticulture workers.
Dr Webster is taking the issue to the Nationals’ federal conference in Canberra this weekend as she seeks endorsement from the party ahead of a formal pitch to her Liberal Coalition colleagues.
“I’m going to seek an urgency motion to bring it forward because I don’t want it lost at the end of the list on the weekend,” Dr Webster told Sunraysia Daily.
“I want it debated on and that, as a party, we endorse these measures.
“By no means do we have unity on this in the party, but we don’t have unity on coal either.
“For me, there are just too many reasons why this status resolution needs to be upheld.”
The Mildura-based MP will face an uphill battle to get broader support in the joint party room.
In a Senate estimates hearing this week, Michaelia Cash, a Liberal Cabinet minister in the Morrison Government, said: “The government’s position remains very, very clear: there will be no amnesty.”
In response, Dr Webster said she was “not fussed” about Senator Cash’s comments.
“She’s a minister and is entitled to have that view,” Dr Webster said.
“It’s a bit like (party) gender quotas right now. We’re in a position where this is a unique opportunity to make positive changes.
“When governments are faced with a crisis, it gives more scope to be flexible (with policies and rules) and then adapt to the changing circumstances.”
She said she had spoken with senior ministers this week about her push for a visa policy overhaul.
“I’ve taken (agriculture expert and author of a new industry report) Dr Joanna Howe to visit with (Immigration) Minister Alex Hawke,” she said.
“We are vigorously pursuing this, because if we could get a status resolution for undocumented workers, it would mean that that 90 per cent of the cohort, who are in the shadows right now, could be legitimately freed up to work from farm to farm and region to region.”
Dr Webster this week received backing from independent Member for Mildura Ali Cupper in her amnesty quest.
“The Liberal Party, in particular, need to drop the ‘national security risk’ and ‘border control’ facade,” Ms Cupper said.
“These (undocumented) people are here, they are contributing to our society and we need to provide a pathway to make them legal.
“It’s great that Anne Webster and three other National Party MPs have been pushing for the amnesty and I hope the Coalition listens to them.”
