Ideology is a luxury we can enjoy in good times, but the realities of the COVID-19 health and economic crises demand pragmatic solutions.
To its credit, the Australian government shelved its union-busting agenda, instead collaborating with the ACTU to protect businesses and workers affected by the COVID-19 shutdown through the new JobKeeper payment.
But new policies hold firm to the government’s immigration policy of restricting rights for the large population of temporary migrant workers. On Saturday Immigration Minister Alan Tudge confirmed that while visa holders are ‘valuable to the Australian economy and way of life’, ‘Australians and permanent residents’ are the priority.
