Stephen Bennett says ‘criminal’ contractors should be prosecuted

Governments and local farmers needed to join forces to stop Pacific Islanders from being exploited in Australia, and labour contractors doing the wrong thing needed to be investigated, a Queensland MP has demanded. Read the latest on this unfolding issue.

Non-approved contractors and labour hire workers coercing vulnerable Pacific Islanders into indentured labour in Australia need to be prosecuted immediately, Burnett MP Stephen Bennett said this week.

His call came after a number of workers disengaged from the PALM scheme after they were promised work that didn’t eventuate and claimed they had been “blackbirded” and “enslaved”.

Mr Bennett said he was sad to hear Vanuatuan farm workers were being “exploited”.

“Some of those stories are harrowing, and we need to be ashamed that those stories are told,” he said.

“They are absolutely in fear over the intimidation and possible standover tactics.

“We’ve heard of stories of terrible exploitation and treatment particularly in women and South Sea Islanders.

“When you consider these South Sea Islanders usually come from a faith-based position, they have faith and trust in the process. They come to Australia and it can be incredibly daunting.

“They believe what they’ve been told about an authoritative figure and some of these people are dodgy as anything and they are criminals,” Mr Bennett said.

Burnett MP Stephen Bennett has called for contractors to be prosecuted after hearing “terrible” stories of Pacific Islanders living on just a few dollars a week.

Mr Bennett said farmers needed to be held accountable for the way their workers were treated.

“I don’t accept that farmers in this area in particular can always blame somebody else by using contractors. I think they have a moral right and a code to participate in the welfare of people on their farm,” he said.

“They have a role to play.

“Wouldn’t it be better if they had more interaction from these workers and we all learn from each other instead of having a transactional relationship? It could be somewhat personable as well, and by having a personable relationship we start to deal with these exploitation issues.

“For me, it’s about their health and safety and their wellbeing, things like their wages and accommodation is satisfactory.

“We also need the industry to think about levies, so they can help fund that issue.”

Workers are calling on the Australian Government to help them, and to change legislation to give them more freedom.

Mr Bennett said he was disappointed with the lack of attention they received from governments, but admitted all governments were to blame.

“As members for the government on both sides at all levels, we’ve dropped the ball, and even if people expose this it’s a shame and it’s a scourge on our community,” he said.

“It’s been incredibly difficult over 10 years to see both the state and federal governments struggle with what should be, in my opinion, doable.

“It should be the tax department, immigration department.

“The other thing that the state has a role to play in is we’ve tried to legislate solutions around this and making contractors register was quite an ideological industrial relations reform which clearly hasn't worked.

Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett has called for more regulation around Pacific Islander treatment after a motel manager found her guests living off just a few dollars a week, a move which also led to a secret trip from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“We contacted the minister around this terrible current example [and] we may have to go back to the drawing board to have a more rigorous process where these contractors are being reviewed.

“In many cases in Queensland, legislation’s active but we never, ever check it’s enforced.

“We don’t do compliance and we don’t check on the welfare of people in our country and we must do that.

“There’s a lot of things going on here, but it’s nothing new, unfortunately.

“I think places like Bundaberg, and places like Bowen and the Lockyer Valley where we have high numbers of these workers, we need departmental representation here.”

The Burnett MP said farm workers needed independent advice and assistance, and he has helped local human rights advocate Amanda Slade get the ball rolling.

“The workers need to understand and have access to an independent champion and these things like contracts need to be checked and if any seasonal workers read this story, don't sign anything if you don’t understand it,” Mr Bennett said.

“We’re hearing terrible stories of manipulation and coercion and I’ve seen the evidence of that as well.

“I wonder how some of these contractors sleep at night when you see the paypackets of these workers.

“We see examples of workers who are paying thousands of dollars supposedly to get their vias in order, but we know they cost $40.

“Again, [it’s] criminal activity and those things need to be forwarded to the police.

“Thanks to a local champion here, a local lady Amanda, she’s done a tremendous job in bringing this forward. She’s managed to get officials on the ground but this should never have happened.”