Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia must think about how temporary visa-holders can meet workforce shortages as Australia's economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic stalled Australia's migration program, and the net intake is expected to fall into negative levels for the first time since World War II.
Mr Morrison says the government could consider reviewing visa classes for sectors such as agriculture and hospitality, which were reliant on temporary visa-holders and have been hardest hit by travel restrictions.
"So all I’m saying really is that I’ve got a very open mind on this. We have tried in the past to first get Australians into these jobs, but having tried to do that with any number of incentives - and I’m sure Peter Costello remembers the things they were trying back two decades ago - it has been incredibly difficult and we have to call it as it is. And that is, when Australians won’t do the jobs, the jobs still need to be done."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Source: AAP
The comments come as Australia's streak without local transmission of COVID-19 continues and more people receive vaccinations against the virus.
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