Country people may not be able to have a meal at the pub, visit ageing relatives nearby, or see a doctor locally if extreme cuts are made to Australia’s migration intake, according to the Member for Barwon.
Independent Member for Barwon Roy Butler delivered a Notice of Motion in NSW Parliament on Wednesday, 21 October, warning that federal proposals to slash the number of visa workers would directly affect businesses and services in western NSW.
“Alarm bells are ringing for many people in western NSW as they hear about federal plans to shut the door on backpackers and skilled workers from overseas,” Mr Butler said.
“In many bush communities, there just aren’t enough people who are willing or able to work shifts at pubs, clubs and retail to keep businesses running.”
He said businesses across western NSW kept asking him how they were supposed to keep the doors open without visa workers.
“The reality is that it’s not just private businesses that would suffer if they can’t get visa workers,” Mr Butler said.
“Country communities rely on workers from overseas to care for our relatives in aged care facilities and to staff our hospitals.”
Mr Butler said he would welcome a more conservative NSW Parliament after the next election, but it was important to understand circumstances in country communities. He said the balance in NSW Parliament, particularly in the Legislative Council, “swings too far to the left”.
“People in the bush are too often used as pawns in emotive arguments for clickbait, which bear little resemblance to reality,” he said.
“If the people of Barwon choose to return me at the next election, I would look forward to working with new conservative MPs.”
“There needs to be an understanding of the practical impacts on the ground.”
The Notice of Motion, titled “Visa Workers Needed”, says Mr Butler will move on the next sitting day that the House:
- Notes that more conservative voices would be a welcome development in the next parliament.
- Recognises the danger of making policy based on ideology alone without understanding the implications on the ground.
- Acknowledges the importance of visa workers to pubs, farms, hospitals and aged care across Barwon, where many communities don’t have enough local workers.
- Notes that local services would grind to a halt if extreme cuts to our migration intake were made.
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