Working Holiday Visas

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (15:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before addressing a question to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development on working holiday-maker visas?

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: With the Labor government recently releasing a final report into a review of Australia's migration policies, the National Farmers' Federation has expressed concerns regarding the recommendation to limit or scrap the requirement for working holiday-makers to work on a farm.

Introduced during the pandemic, the measure was initially implemented to provide temporary relief to the industry. With working holiday-makers forming an essential source of seasonal labour for farmers, National Farmers' Federation CEO Tony Mahar has suggested it would be disastrous to remove this requirement without an alternative visa stream and would deepen the farm labour crisis at critical seasonal times. Mr Mahar has also expressed frustration at the lack of consultation with the agricultural industry about these changes. My questions to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development are:

1. Has the minister consulted with the Local Government Association and regional councils to ensure our regions have appropriate infrastructure and opportunities for enticing migrants into regional areas?

2. Does the regional development minister share Mr Mahar's concerns about the review's recommendation to limit or scrap the requirement for working holiday-maker visa holders to work on a farm?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:33): I thank the honourable member for his question. We constantly see in this place those opposite wanting one minister in this place to be responsible for all other portfolios. I appreciate that the former Liberal prime minister, Prime Minister Morrison, decided that he should be responsible for pretty much everything in the federal parliament. That's not something that we do here. We have a very collegial approach to state government.

However, now we are finding that those opposite are going even further. They want South Australian ministers to also be responsible for federal matters. Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition in the other place, the Hon. David Speirs, has ambitions to be every minister in South Australia and every minister in the federal government as well. Perhaps that's the kind of approach that those opposite are taking. I have frequent discussions with many stakeholders about many issues, and I will continue to do so.