457 VISAS

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (15:04): My question is to the Minister for Industry and Trade. Does the minister disagree with Prime Minister Gillard's view that the 457 visa system is being rorted and needs to be cut back?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Small Business) (15:04): The federal government has a view on 457 visas. If they believe they are being rorted they are the overseer of those visas and they are able to take appropriate action through their processes and their control of the immigration process. I will say that 457 visas serve a useful purpose and they are important to business. They are used by the state government, as members will know, and there is no abuse of them by the state government.