Secret foreign worker agreement with Rhinehart generates confusion
The Labor Caucus this morning passed a resolution to apply more scrutiny to deals with big companies to bring in foreign workers, after a storm of criticism over an agreement between the government and Gina Rhinehart. The agreement allows Rhinehart’s Roy Hill project to employ around 1700 foreign workers. The Greens say that these jobs wouldn’t even have to be advertised to Australian workers, but the Immigration minister’s office strongly refutes this, saying that Rhinehart’s mine won’t be able to bring in a foreign worker if there is an Australian ready, willing and able to do the work.
The details of the government’s agreement with Rhinehart are secret. That secrecy seems to be generating confusion and misunderstanding over how Australian workers can best take advantage of the mining boom’s jobs bonanza.