BY ALEX DADAMU
OPPOSITION Leader Matthew Wale has labeled the government’s aiming to get 2000 Solomon Islanders to work in Australia by December 2021 as ridiculous.
Honorable Wale in his contribution to the Special adjournment motion in parliament this week said Australia desperately needs 26 thousand farmworkers and the country can send around 100k young people who are unemployed who could go right now to meet the need in Australian farms.
“But the government is aiming to send 2000 by December 2021. What a ridiculous situation! It is clear that the government cannot manage the Labour mobility scheme.
“It must now urgently seek to outsource this important responsibility to a credible private sector operator,” Hon. Wale suggested.
He further pointed out that it is important to find where in Australia the farms are that need the 26k workers, and then do everything in our capacity to get them the workers urgently.
“This public service attitude of aiming to get 2000 there by the end of the year is unambitious as it is irresponsible and negligent,” Opposition Leader Matthew Wale stated.
In recent Australian media reports, Measures to keep the coronavirus out of the country have left Australia with a deficit of 26,000 farm workers.
“Without backpackers to pick them, crops rot by the ton,” the reports stated.
To encourage foreigners to fill these jobs, Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison announced in September 2020, he will offer visa extensions to backpackers, Pacific Islanders, and seasonal workers, plus bonuses for welfare recipients as an incentive to pick fruit.
Meanwhile, it is understood that the next recruitment and screening process for the Government’s Work Ready Pool (WRP) is expected around the end of July or the beginning of August.
