Now, the start of the New Year is usually a time for a bit of a reset when it comes to the big issues facing the country. The pressure just isn’t letting up. Immigration remains one of the hottest topics, whether it’s the impact on the housing market or how we manage the intake to support our economy. The next guest is right at the centre of that debate. He’s been a Senator of our state since 2019, he’s currently the Shadow Minister for Immigration. Senator Paul Scarr joins me now. Thank you for your time, Senator.
Senator Scarr
Thank you, Carla, and good to be with you and your listeners. Congratulations to 4BC for coming out and meeting the people.
Carla Bignasca
We’re here for you. We’re at the One Mile. We’re overlooking The Gabba. The Big Bash is about to start, but you are dressed for a day in the office, not the day in the office at The Gabba.
Senator Scarr
That’s true, but it’s wonderful to see so many families starting to arrive, having a meal before going to the cricket, and a big game tonight, the Brisbane Heat against the Melbourne Stars. We’re all hoping The Heat can win tonight.
Carla Bignasca
I just saw a family of Stars supporters – keep walking! Like I said, the start of the year is usually the time for a reset. You might be able to get a bit of a break, but there is no break when you’re in public life, and it’s a big year ahead. Your top priority is obviously the Immigration Portfolio. When are we going to see some policy from you and from the government as well? I guess, especially considering recent events.
Senator Scarr
So, Carla, we had been working up some high-level principles. We were well progressed in terms of working up those principles. Then, of course, the Bondi Massacre occurred. That dreadful, dreadful terrorist attack. So, since that point in time, our focus has been 100% in terms of the response to that issue, and that includes a whole range of matters, one of which is the 100% implementation of those 49 recommendations made by the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, and some of those actually bear on Immigration Policy. So, there were three recommendations bearing on Immigration Policy, and that included better screening and vetting of applicants for Australian Visas, in terms of antisemitic rhetoric, viewpoints, extreme ideologies. Second is beefing up the powers under the Migration Act to be able to cancel Visas. Third, training for the Department of Home Affairs Officials, in terms of how to screen for people who we don’t want in this country.
Carla Bignasca
There has been a lot of talk and debate since the awful events of Bondi about a Royal Commission. The Prime Minister is doubling down, saying a review is all that’s required. A review is required in terms of procedure, but I think that the sentiment around the country has been in support of a royal commission, because it’s more than just politics here. We’re not about creating more division.
Senator Scarr
I couldn’t agree more Carla, and I would expect, certainly, the feedback I’m getting from the community, I expect that an overwhelming majority of your listeners that are listening to this show would also agree that we need to have a Royal Commission. One of the reasons we need to have a royal commission is to lift it above politics. So, the Coalition is certainly advocating for a federal Royal Commission. We are facing a national issue in terms of the rise, the explosion in antisemitism that’s occurred across this country since those despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel on 7 October. We are also looking at issues that cross state borders. So, from my perspective, it is not good enough for there just to be a New South Wales State Royal Commission. There needs to be a Federal Royal Commission. Only a federal Royal Commission will be able to investigate all the aspects of this issue, including the performance of our national security agencies. So, from my perspective, we must have a Royal Commission, and I’ll certainly keep advocating for a Royal Commission, but so many community members have been advocating for it Carla, so the Prime Minister needs to listen. The Australian people are demanding a Royal Commission. This isn’t about Politics.
Carla Bignasca
Beyond politics and for me personally, and I think for the conversations that I have with my friends and colleagues, it’s about transparency, and primarily, it’s about change. Because this is not who we are. This is not what we have come to expect to live in Australia. This is not our way of life and to feel unsafe, but to go against what we feel and know to have as our way of life, to be under threat.
Senator Scarr
The fact of the matter is our Jewish community has been calling for action for over two years, and speaking to members of our Jewish community, including here in the state of Queensland, they talk to me about how at non Jewish schools, they have, say, an exercise for a fire alarm. At a Jewish school, they’re having exercises to go into lockdown because they’re under attack, and they’ve been enduring this sort of heightened level of security for over two years, and now we see the tragedy of what happened at Bondi, which is just a national tragedy.
Carla Bignasca
Senator Paul Scarr is my guest right now. Senator, you spent a lot of time working across many multicultural communities in Brisbane and Ipswich. What are they telling you are their main concerns right now?
Senator Scarr
Members of those communities are just heartbroken by what’s happened. A few weeks ago, we had the commemoration ceremony at Brisbane City Hall, and congratulations to Lord Mayor Adrian Dchrinner and our Queensland Premier for working with Jason Steinberg and his team at the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies for bringing that together. I was approached by a few members of that community who were all there in solidarity with our Queensland Jewish community, heartbroken to see what had happened in Bondi several weeks ago. So, it’s really having an impact on everyone across the whole of our society, because this is not the Australia we know, as you said, and it is just so contrary to everything we believe in.
Carla Bignasca
We’ve been talking all week about there being a general shortage of skilled workers. In terms of mechanics, there’s a shortage of mechanics. We spoke to the MTA of Queensland, they said they’re looking for people taking up apprenticeships and tradies wanting to be mechanics, plumbers. There are builders. We’re just short of tradies in general. How much pressure do you think that you can pin that on current migration settings? Are you for bringing in skilled migrants? If you were given the keys to the government today, how would you fix this problem?
Senator Scarr
Well, I think in terms of skilled migration, we need to really focus on the actual skills that we need the most. We need to really focus on those occupations we need the most. That means bringing down the list of skills in demand, which are now over four hundred. We need to bring that down to what we really need the most, and in the building sector, which is a key issue. We’re seven thousand plumbers short in Queensland now. It’s just extraordinary. So, we need to be really focused on the skills that we’re bringing into the country, and make sure that we’re targeting those areas, both in the city and our regional areas, on the skills that they need the most. So, I think that’s an absolute priority. In that regard as well, we also need to look at things like skills recognition. Master Builders have done analysis which says there is about 35,000 people living in Australia at moment who have building related skills, but don’t have their skills recognized. So, we need to address that sort of red tape to make sure we can bring those people into the workforce as quickly as possible. I also think the other thing that we need to look at is convincing young people to take on a trade and improve that pipeline of apprentices coming through from a young age to meet those skill shortages. Because to be frank, we can’t go on forever bringing our skills in from overseas. We should have the capacity to generate these skills from our own population.
Carla Bignasca
Certainly, the government has done their best to stop encouraging businesses to take on apprenticeships by removing some of the incentives to encourage young people to take on an apprentice – it costs money.
Senator Scarr
I think you need to provide support to those small businesses who are trying to deal with the cost of living crisis, and all the pressures on their bottom line, to actually encourage them and give them support to take on someone young and bring through that next generation of builders, plumbers, electricians, etc.
Carla Bignasca
Now, we are here at the One Mile at The Gabba. We’re in anticipation of the Brisbane Heat, taking on the Melbourne Stars. Summer is a huge time for family, for winding down. It’s been remarkably busy for you, but we’re here at the cricket, the Big Bash. What’s the sport that you love watching? The truth is we could see you on the couch with a bag of chips, beer in hand, if that’s your poison, what game would you be watching?
Senator Scarr
I must say I love cricket. I have always loved cricket. I think the Big Bash has become part of our summer now that you have in the background, even if you’re not watching every delivery, it’s in the background. The fact that you’ve got two games every night is great as well, because you’ve always got something to go to. So, look, I love cricket, I love my rugby league.
Carla Bignasca
We’re in the greatest state in the country to enjoy sport, so you’re in the right spot.
Senator Scarr
I was just thinking as I was coming to do this interview, I was just thinking of all the fun I had at The Gabba growing up. You know, particularly with my father, we used to go to the cricket a lot, and how much enjoyment that gave me. I was trying to remember that time when Queensland won the Sheffield Shield, all that time ago, which we had to wait decades and decades to win the Sheffield Shield. There are so many memories that come back.
Carla Bignasca
How great, and it still has not changed, which is to its detriment. Paul, very quickly, last time we caught up, we were at the Today Show, and you have a very pampered pooch.
Senator Scarr
Incy Wincy – the rescued Greyhound.
Carla Bignasca
She gets her own plate of bacon when you go to your local.
Senator Scarr
She did this morning.
Carla Bignasca
No!
Senator Scarr
Can I just say to your listeners? If you want a beautiful dog, get a rescue greyhound. They’re very lazy. You don’t have to give them much exercise at all. But she’s a beautiful girl, and she’s living the life she deserves.
Carla Bignasca
Paul Scarr, last question about your dog. Have you ever put on the Greyhound races while she’s watching? Has she ever gone to go for the rabbit? Because, I see those videos of like ex Greyhound racers, who then see it on a screen and then, like, instantly go to race mode.
Senator Scarr
She’s a bit lazy. She is extremely interested when she sees other animals, but usually she just wants to go up and say hello!
Carla Bignasca
Thank you so much for your time. Thanks for joining us on 4BC.
