Senate blocks gas project visas

THE $200bn offshore oil and gas industry has been thrown into limbo after the Senate struck down ­several categories of ­foreign-worker visas.

THE $200 billion offshore oil and gas industry has been thrown into limbo after the Greens and Labor won support in the Senate to strike down ­several categories of ­foreign-worker visas.

The Australian Mines and Metals Association blasted the move as a “bloody-minded and irresponsible political stunt’’ that “directly endangered the jobs of thousands of Australians working in our critical offshore oil and gas sector by rendering essential work done by non-Australian nationals unlawful’’. The government was last night taking advice on how to work around the disallowance motion, which will affect workers in the offshore gas projects of northwestern Australia and Queensland.

The clash came over a regulation issued since the Coalition came to power that offered three classes of temporary visa to ­foreign workers in the industry.

The regulation was intended to overturn Labor’s bid to develop visa classes for the offshore resources projects that the Maritime Union of Australia insisted would help protect Australian jobs. Labor backed a Greens disallowance motion and it was carried with the support of the three Palmer United Party senators, the Democratic Labour Party’s John Madigan and the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party’s Ricky Muir.

Assistant Immigration Minister Michaelia Cash said the vote put Australian jobs at risk.

The Greens said they were trying to ensure workers laying pipes to gas platforms received Australian pay and conditions. Labor had argued this week that the changes allowed the use of a visa class that lacked safeguards to stop workers being exploited.

Supporters of the motion ­believe it will not cause chaos and that the Immigration Minister has the power to issue special visas to anyone affected.

Senator Cash said the effect of the disallowance motion was that a person who was not an Australian citizen or permanent resident would be in breach of their temporary visa conditions if they participated in or supported an offshore resources activity.

She said Labor and the Greens had capitulated to the MUA. AMMA executive director Scott Barklamb said the decision created chaos and uncertainty for thousands of employees at sea, on oil and gas platforms, on drilling rigs and in a wide variety of other critical, job-creating activities.

“The disallowance impacts every offshore resources project in Australia — projects worth $200bn to our economy (that) employ upwards of 70,000 Australia people,’’ he said. “It doesn’t only invalidate those workers on short-term maritime crew visas — the intended target of the maritime unions’ misleading scare campaign — but all non-Australian residents on offshore resources activities including those working here for years on long-standing visa arrangements.”

Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt said his party had moved to protect local jobs, wages and conditions. He said the regulation let companies flout the Fair Work Act and pay workers less than Australian minium wages and conditions.

“People on offshore oil and gas platforms and on the mainland got Australian minimum wages and conditions, but the Abbott government said that those laying pipes out to the platforms weren’t entitled to the same protection,’’ Mr Bandt said.