Robb will listen to Labor on China FTA

The safeguards would, in effect, apply generally to all trade agreements so as not to offend China.

As a part of its amendments to the China trade agreement, Labor wants a raise in the minimum pay for overseas workers on 457 visas from $53,000 a year to $57,000.

“Labor’s safeguards are complementary to ChAFTA: they will not breach the agreement, they will not require it to be renegotiated and they will not discriminate against Chinese workers or companies – in fact they will improve protections for Chinese and other 457 visa workers in Australia”.

He said that earlier discussions on the topic included a “huge wishlist” from the opposition and that they were seeking to use the FTA as an opportunity to change the country’s migration laws more broadly.

There was also dissatisfaction that the changes would adequately enforce labour market testing before 457 visas were granted for such skilled professions as nurses, engineers, electricians, plumbers, welders and carpenters.

Employers entering investment facilitation arrangement work agreements would be required to advertise jobs locally before turning to overseas workers. Foreign workers in trades such as electrical work and plumbing would need obtain the relevant occupational licence or registration within 60 days of arriving in Australia.

“We think these measures, which don’t go to the actual [ChAFTA] treaty, but go towards belt-and-bracing the propositions, will mean that all Australians can unite behind the China free trade agreement”.

The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took a giant leap to garnering bipartisan support in Australia’s parliament on Tuesday, with the Labor party backing down from changes to the original legislation.

“For a few time now, we’ve been saying that if the Opposition put forward any proposals of substance, we’d look at them”, Mr Robb said.