The National Farmers Federation (NFF) has issued a voting guide to rural electors, ranking the major parties against its 14 policy priorities for the 21 May election. The NFF has rated the Coalition ahead of Labor on 12 of them. The NFF is especially unhappy that Labor wants to scrap the recently introduced agriculture visa:
Labor has been penalised for its rejection of the long-awaited agriculture visa, after announcing it will scrap it in favour of the establishment of a separate visa under the Pacific Island Labor Scheme.
The Coalition’s Agricultural Visa program came into effect in October 2021 and provides pathways for permanent residency for workers from 10 South-East Asian nations provided they pledge to become indentured with an employer for at least three years.
