Today Show

KARL STEFANOVIC: The government is set to slash how long foreign workers on 457 visas can stay in the country in a bid to tip the odds in favour of Aussie workers. Under the proposal the visa will be cut to just 60 days, now 90, Christopher Pyne and Anthony Albanese join us now, good morning guys.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Hello Karl

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Good to be with you

KARL STEFANOVIC: Christopher, down from 90 to 60 days, how is that going to affect fruit growers?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well Karl when Labor were in office they increased the length of time that 457 visa holders could look for a job after their current job finished from 28 days to 90 days so we are going to reduce that. It’s part of a range of measures that we are introducing to tighten up and have already introduced to tighten up the 457 visa class.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Is that going to cover the fruit picking seasons, sixty days?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well it’s the time post the visa where they can actually look for another job so it certainly will be enough time for them to find another job if there is one there but we obviously want to put Australian workers first and there are also jobs where there aren’t enough Australian workers, like for example fruit picking as you picked where we need to bring in foreign workers on short terms visas but we’ve got to make sure that’s tightened up because when Bill Shorten was the Minister for Employment it spiked by 60,000 in one year.

KARL STEFANOVIC: The problem is growers will tell you every day of the week they can’t find Aussie workers to do those jobs.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well they obviously find them because they’re picking their fruit and they’re picking their grapes and they’re getting into export markets and they’re making money so, but we’re obviously trying to help them but we also don’t want to open the flood gates because that wouldn’t help our economy and our Australians who needs to look for jobs.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Bill Shorten did issue around a third more 457 visas.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: No let’s be very clear Karl this is just playing politics, that was the time of the mining boom when you needed to – you had a skill shortage so for those reasons…

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: That’s not what happened.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Foreign workers can be necessary but we need to ensure that if Australians are available then they get the first opportunity to fill those jobs and we also need to train young Australians.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Okay let’s move on, there’s been a major breakthrough in our refugee policy, big questions still remain though over Australia’s plan to resettle asylum seekers in the US. Christopher there are fears this still could obviously come unstuck given Donald Trump – his election win, is it going ahead or not definitely this morning, can you say?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well it’s definitely going ahead, the arrangements have been put in place and the process has begun…

KARL STEFANOVIC: And how many?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well that will be up to the United States in terms of going through their own processes and choosing those that they wish to resettle in the US.

KARL STEFANOVIC: But you’re saying this morning that it is definitely going ahead and those refugees will be going to the United States?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well a process has begun, there’s absolutely no reason to believe that it won’t go ahead and the number of course will be up to the US, what we of course have done though is we are continuing to clean up the mess left to us by the Labor Party, we now have resettlement in third countries in Cambodia and the US…

ANTHONY ALBANESE: You know you’ve been in government for a while Christopher, it’s possible to make a statement without talking about the former Labor government.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well it’s sad in fact that Labor left us with this terrible legacy and we are getting on with the job of fixing it.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: People have been on Manus and Nauru for too long, they need to be settled in a third country and that’s a good thing…

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: It is

ANTHONY ALBANESE: If this goes ahead.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Okay let’s talk just really quickly on Donald Trump, we have 30 seconds left, you must be delighted Christopher?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well I think that what Donald Trump has been saying since the election has been very much calming any nerves that might have been there, he’s clearly talking in a very different way and re-interpreting some of his policies.

KARL STEFANOVIC: What would you have done without Joe Hockey over there to get the number for you for Malcolm Turnbull?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: And Joe is doing a great job…

KARL STEFANOVIC: Isn’t he.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: He’s doing a fantastic job, but we’re very lucky because Donald Trump rang Malcolm Turnbull as the second world leader that he spoke to, it just indicates where Australia is…

KARL STEFANOVIC: Malcolm didn’t have his number.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: In their thinking.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Malcolm didn’t have his number.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Why would Malcolm has his number? Malcolm got his number and we spoke to him so, you know, I’m not sure what your point is, sorry.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Okay, finally.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well I think a bit deal has been made over how this phone number was got, the fact is that the US and Australia are close allies, it’s a good thing that the respective leaders are talking.

KARL STEFANOVIC: Okay, good stuff thank you guys, have a great weekend see you soon.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Thank you.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Good on you.