Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has reached boiling point as Australian workers continue to have their jobs taken and pay and conditions undermined as a result of corporations sourcing foreign employees on 457 visas to fill basic mining jobs.

Mr Katter warned that job seeking Australians looking to get a start in the mines have had a “gutful” of being rejected and subsequently hearing corporations say they can’t find Australian labour.

“When Gina Rinehart made her statement about being unable to find Australian workers we started recording how many people were looking for jobs in the mines. On that particular day we found nine people just by walking down the street.

“The next week we met with 12 qualified tradesmen who were looking to get a start in the mines but kept getting knocked back.

“It’s no wonder these people are fed up. Why wouldn’t they be when the ALP and LNP are too busy bickering over 457 visas in Canberra to notice that the future and livelihoods of these Aussie battlers is being ripped apart at the hands mining corporations?

“The extremely inappropriately named Labor party last year brought into Australia 125,000 foreign fly in workers while the Liberals were bringing in 35,000 a year on average over a ten year period when they were in Government.

“There might be a case for some 457 workers in Australia, but that figure is closer to 5,000 a year not 35,000 or 125,000.”

The frustration has escalated as more cases are confirmed where corporations have sourced foreign fly-ins to take basic construction jobs at half the salary they would normally pay Australian workers.

Mr Katter said, “Xstrata at McArthur River had nine foreign fly-ins alleged to be working at half award rate and last week it was said to me that Woodside employees are alleged to be paid $3 per hour working construction on the gas liquefaction plant.

“I mean, these people are not taking the jobs that need particular or highly specialised skill-set, they are taking the truck driving and ditch digging jobs worth over $100,000 to Australians and being paid more like $50,000.

“For anyone who seriously contends that they can’t find workers in Australia, I will take them down any main street, in any town in Australia and I guarantee I will find people for you.”

Mr Katter said that giant mining organisations should take a course from Andrew Forrest and source First Australian workers from local communities.

“These First Australians have minimal education yet Andrew Forrest has turned them into highly productive and sophisticated mine workers. For that I say good on you Andrew and curse the other people whose greed is such that their only interest is to undermine our pay and conditions.”