Don’t export jobs

AS THE world globalises, the national governments of the west are having something of an existential crisis.

What are they for, people wonder, as the worst MPs fight among themselves, wet their beaks, and jockey for power as an end in itself.

You would think one of the functions that clearly remains would be to help reduce national unemployment by matching the jobless with available jobs.

This can involve training programs as well as carrot and stick incentives.

And yet the history of the 457 program is of governments of both stripes being caught out allowing business to import foreign workers to fill jobs that could otherwise be offered to locals.

It was Malcolm Turnbull’s government which boasted in April of reforms for the system after saying 457s had lost credibility.

And it is freshly-minted PM Scott Morrison who will inherit today’s embarassing revelations. Any possible fix will rest with him too if he’s of a mind to do it.

But while Labor is crowing about how the temporary skills shortage visa is being used for ‘axed’ 457 job categories, neither major party has clean hands on this basic betrayal of the ordinary Australian worker.

In fact, it was during Bill Shorten’s time as workplace minister that the Gillard Government oversaw an explosion in 457s, including an industry agreement opening the door to foreign workers for KFC, McDonald’s and Hungry Jacks.

The Liberal Party nail their colours to the flag as the party of business, but the ALP is historically meant to be a party of labor.

What, then, of the local worker whose job prospects keep getting gazumped by programs — 457, Temporary Skills Shortage, or whatever label comes next?

What are they to make of Canberra’s seeming ambivalence to whether a local gets a job or someone is brought in from overseas to do it?

It’s a pretty ordinary situation and not one that will inspire any faith in our politics.