The website of labour hire firm Owen Pacific Workforce indicates it intends to hire workers under the federal government’s new agriculture visa, although a spokeswoman for the company has stated it is not taking part in the first phase.
Owen Pacific Workforce has previously been accused of housing Pacific Islander workers in squatter-like conditions, so its potential involvement in the new visa has sparked concerns about worker conditions in the new scheme.
Labor claims the new scheme will undermine Australia’s relationship with the Pacific, as it gives priority to workers from Southeast Asian nations.
