Anthony Albanese blasted by Peter Dutton as tradies get a dud deal in migration review

Construction industry leaders have taken aim at the Albanese government over its migration policy, after it said there was not enough proof the nation had a tradie shortage to justify fast tracking visas.

The Albanese government is facing pressure to prioritise bringing more foreign tradies into the country with opposition leader Peter Dutton joining a chorus of industry voices demanding support for the housing crisis.

Under Labor’s migration changes, overseas tradies will be able to enter through a lower-tier pathway but have not been included in the new highly skilled visa pathway.

Construction industry sources said the move was designed to appease unions by saving the best blue-collar jobs for locals.

“At a time when we have got huge shortages … the government had the opportunity under the migration program review to bring more tradies in as we have done in decades past, to try and meet that demand,” Mr Dutton said.

“At the moment you can’t build a house and you can’t get a renovation done at a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost because of the massive shortage of tradies. All of these decisions are making life harder for Australians.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton. Picture: Martin Ollman

Builders and construction industry leaders said they were “shocked” and “disappointed” the Albanese government felt there isn’t enough proof the nation has a tradie shortage to justify fast tracking workers in from overseas.

Industry leaders said a lack of skilled tradies is directly fuelling Australia’s desperate shortage of new housing.

“Our strategy changes don’t make it harder to bring tradespeople to Australia. We are just not making it easier (through) … the specialist skills pathway,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in defence of the government’s move.

“Our government feels strongly that for sectors like trades, you should have to prove that there is a skill shortage before you go to recruit overseas.”

Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil. Picture: Martin Ollman

Ms O’Neil’s comments were unanimously condemned by the construction sector with Master Builders saying the industry was facing a shortfall of 486,000 new workers in the next three to five years – with 229,000 of them tradies.

And that figure does not include the workforce needed for the government’s ambitious net-zero emissions goals.

Master Builders chief executive Denita Wawn said she was “disappointed” and “shocked” by Ms O’Neil’s comments.

“We have signed an accord with the government and we have consistently said one of the barriers to achieving those targets is resolving worker shortages in those trades,” she said.

“The largest shortages in the skills shortage lists are in tech and trades so it is in contrast with their own data. I’m shocked by those comments.”

The Albanese government has unveiled its migration review. Picture: Martin Ollman

Ms Wawn said skilled migrants were needed more than ever in the housing industry.

“With a need of half a million new workers in the next three to five years, the domestic workforce simply cannot meet these targets in the short-term and skilled migration will play a key role in plugging that gap,” she said.

“While we recognise that skilled tradies are eligible for entry via the Core Skills pathway, there is an inconsistency between the earning potential of these roles and the tier they are in.

“By bumping skilled trades down into the second tier, less than $135,000, we hope this does not cause confusion for tradies internationally who earn above this threshold.”

Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest said shortages extended across all levels of trades involved in the housing industry.

Young construction workers on a demolition site in Cammeray today, (L to R) Piri Manuera, 18, Ryan Harper, 18, and Jesse Harper, 19. Picture: David Swift

“Covid saw a mass exodus in construction, especially among older tradies and skills workers,” he said.

“The Minister only need to have a conversation with Julie Collins, or any of the state premiers to see that shortage of labour is impacting construction.

“To lamely suggest that we had not gone through the appropriate process to demonstrate the need for this is to cut one’s own nose to spite one’s face.”

Committee of Sydney chief executive Eamon Waterford said the proof of the industry’s needs was evident in Australia’s inability to meet its housing targets.

“They’ve said this is a response for housing affordability, migration is not to blame for housing affordability but the reality is we haven’t built enough in this country,” he said.

“We need to build a lot more homes. I would ask how much more proof do we need when we have challenges building the housing we need? This is an existential challenge. We do need to make it easier to build the houses, the current system isn’t working.”

Piri Manuera, 18, Ryan Harper 18, and Jesse Harper 19 on a construction site. Picture: David Swift

Developer Coronation Property urban transformation head Aras Labutis

“We have a big task ahead of us as an industry with some pretty ambitious housing targets so there is definitely going to be need for skilled workers,” he said.

“In the past few years we have seen those skills shortages. It has improved to a point but again with the targets we have ahead of us that involves a lot of people on site every day for five year working across a range of projects to make that happen.

“(These targets) require a concerted effort from all levels of government to remove red tape.”

Mr Labutis said it was crucial to also train up workers locally and strengthen the local pipeline.

“It’s important we focus on both sides because there is the short and medium term need but also the longer term need.”

Brendon Harper, owner of Harper Construction, works with his sons Ryan and Jesse on high-end residential construction.

He is open to international tradies plugging the skills shortages but said they would be most suited to commercial buildings.

“If there are enough tradesmen here then we don’t want people from overseas but in the short term, they can (plug the gap).

Originally published as Anthony Albanese blasted by Peter Dutton as tradies get a dud deal in migration review