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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1076 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 October 2020 by Hon Ken Baston

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS — LABOUR SHORTAGE

1076. Hon KEN BASTON to the minister representing the Minister for Tourism:

I refer to the WA government's 5 October media statement regarding a partnership with Virgin and Qantas, delivering 50 000 affordable airfares to Broome, Exmouth and Kununurra.

Has the minister or any other member of the Western Australian government made representations to the federal government requesting policy changes that would allow people on a working holiday, specifically subclass 417 visa holders, to remain in northern WA in order to support the tourism and hospitality sectors?

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I thank the member for notice of the question. The following information has been provided by the Minister for Tourism.

On 16 September 2020, I requested that the Small Business Development Corporation draft a letter to Hon Peter Dutton MP, Minister for Home Affairs, about critical labour shortages in tourism and hospitality and requesting he consider policy changes, and I quote from the letter —

I understand that the definition of ''critical sectors'' under this visa does not include those working in the tourism and hospitality industries.

One suggestion that has been made by various stakeholders to increase the number of available workers in regional Western Australia during these unprecedented times is to amend the definition of ''critical sectors'' to also include the tourism and hospitality industry (or alternatively all industries) in defined areas of regional Western Australia.

It has also been brought to my attention that holders of the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa are able to accrue their three and six month regional working requirements, which enable them to apply for a second or third year working holiday visa within the tourism and hospitality sector, whilst holders of the Working Holiday Makers (subclass 417) visa are not. Would the Federal Government also consider varying the conditions of the subclass 417 visa to also allow this?

This draft letter was received by my office late last week and the final version has been dispatched to Minister Dutton.