MEMBER for Mallee Anne Webster says the “long overdue” reform of the seasonal worker industry is an issue worth “dying in a ditch over”.
Dr Webster is one of four federal Nationals MPs calling for an amnesty for undocumented migrants already in Australia to help address the massive shortage of horticulture workers.
She is hoping for a “positive outcome” in the next fortnight after driving the case for industry reform to ministers and backbench MPs and senators on both sides of politics.
“This is one of those issues worth dying in a ditch over,” Dr Webster said.
“We’re facing such a unique opportunity that I worry that if we don’t get there this time, it’s not going to come around again.
“It’s an untenable situation where we have exploited workers among us, and that could continue unless we make changes.
“But the extortion is also happening with workers putting immense pressure on growers to pay them out of pocket, or $400 a day, or they’ll walk.
“It’s all hugely problematic.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Sunraysia Daily this week, Dr Webster also said the vaccine rollout was likely to be ramped up across north-west Victoria by the end of this month and she committed to pushing for hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for five key Mallee Track projects.
In relation to the amnesty worker quest, Dr Webster conceded the clock was ticking for growers who desperately needed workers on their farms.
“What I’m getting a feel for is that the tide has shifted significantly on this issue, which has been with us for a long time,” she said.
“I’m hoping for significant traction in the next couple of weeks.
“I can comfortably say the majority of the (Nationals’) party room are in support. The question for everyone is, how it will this actually happen?
“It involves departmental decision-making, sovereign risk and security issues. But it is a unique opportunity, in a pandemic, to work this out.”
Dr Webster is also pushing for an overhaul of the national labour-hire contract regulations that would “call the unscrupulous operators into account”.
“I’m not putting everybody in the same basket, because there are some good ones out there,” she said.
“But there are just too many pressures on our growers and we need a better national approach.”
Another issue at the forefront of her mind was the looming vaccine rollout in north-west Victoria, where uncertainty remains over the start date.
“(Local) GP clinics have this week been told there will be deliveries of 1B (for the elderly and health care workers),” Dr Webster said.
“The 1A rollout (for front-line health workers) is the responsibility of the State Government and Bendigo Health. How they are doing that, I don’t have a line of sight on.
“My understanding is that (it will be) at the end of March – but I don’t have direct access to information about this.
“We’d like the rollout to have happened yesterday, but the fact is we’re doing well with managing COVID.”
Bendigo Health has not responded to a request this week for local rollout times.
Dr Webster also reaffirmed her commitment to seek major federal funding for five Mallee Track projects, including a much-needed revamp of Murrayville’s sporting facilities.
It comes after Mildura councillors last month gave a $1 million green light to help fund the projects.
“I’m smiling because I actually pushed some of the projects forward with the council,” Dr Webster said.
“The fact of the matter is I met with Murrayville representatives two or three times over the past year about these issues.
“They had been largely overlooked and that was unacceptable to me.
“Of course, I will be backing it significantly with the Deputy Prime Minister (Michael McCormack) going forward.”
