Amanda Rishworth dodges questions on wage impact of Labor's visa cuts
Asked eight times about wage modeling, the minister gave no direct answer.
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth was asked eight times on radio Friday about wage impacts from cutting nearly 40,000 backpacker visas. She gave no direct answer.
Labor plans to cut the visas and crack down on overstayers. This is part of a migration policy shared Thursday.
The Coalition and the National Farmers' Federation have criticized the plan. They say it will push food prices up and hurt farmers.
Rishworth avoided the question. She said the analysis was for Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to handle.
Labor's targets are 245,000 migrants by June 2026, then 225,000 by mid-2028. Opposition employment spokeswoman Jane Hume said the silence showed Labor wasn't serious about controlling migration.
- 8
- Radio questions about wages
- 40,000
- Backpacker visas to cut
- 245,000 migrants
- Labor's target by June 2026
- 225,000 migrants
- Labor's target by mid-2028
Why it mattersWhen a minister won't explain a policy's wage impact, it raises questions. Was the policy properly tested before rollout?
AustraliaAustralian workers in agriculture and hospitality could see jobs and wages affected by visa cuts, but the government won't disclose its analysis.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 6 d ago
