Labor promises massive increase in migration to lure workers
Paul Kelly; 17/5/08
Immigration Minister Chris Evans wants a major overhaul of the migrant program to boost numbers, promote unskilled as well as skilled applicants and gear Australia to the new global competition for workers.Predicting a “great national debate over the next few years”, Senator Evans said he planned to bring a series of cabinet submissions to reform a “model that is out of date” and too unresponsive to employer needs. He said the debate about temporary migration was over; the coming debate would be about semi-skilled and unskilled migrants to meet labour shortages. Next month, cabinet is expected to approve a pilot program for a guest worker scheme from the South Pacific. Senator Evans called this a “stalking horse” for the larger debate on unskilled migration.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23711763-5013404,00.html