Prime Minister Julia Gillard was not consulted on the decision to bring more than 1,700 foreign workers to work on a major mine project in Western Australia.

The workers have been granted visas under the first Enterprise Migration Agreement to work at Gina Rinehart's $9 billion Roy Hill iron ore project.

Immigration minister Chris Bowen signed off on the deal but Ms Gillard was not informed about it until Wednesday after her return from the United States.

But Labor MP Nick Champion has told ABC News 24's Weekend Breakfast the Enterprise Migration Agreement (EMA) was discussed by cabinet and caucus last year.

"This process went through cabinet, it went through cabinet and caucus last year in actual fact," he said.

"It's fair to say most of the caucus want Australians to be trained up and skilled first but we have to accept that with these massive projects we just simply won't undertake them without both foreign capital and foreign labour."

Mr Champion says it is in the national interest to develop the projects with foreign workers.

"Sure, there's up to 1,700 foreign workers coming in under this agreement. But 6,000 Australian jobs will be created because of it. So, you know, we do have to be careful to see the whole picture here."

Skills Minister Chris Evans says the deal is a necessary step to manage the workforce.

"There'll be thousands and thousand of jobs available in Australia," he said.

"First preference will go to Australians, who want to work in these projects, that are often in very remote areas, but the EMA is part of managing that massive investment pipeline and peak construction activity."

He told ABC Radio's AM the move is a sensible economic solution.

"Tens of thousands of Australians will get job opportunities in construction of these projects in the next few years," he said.

"But we will need overseas labour to supplement that and it's better that it comes in temporarily than permanently because those jobs will be part of a peak activity, which won't last and the temporary top-up of foreign labour is the sensible economic solution."

'Gobsmacked'

But the Government is facing an angry backlash from unions and within its own ranks over the move.

Labor backbencher Doug Cameron says he is gobsmacked and bemused by the decision, and does not believe Labor's caucus will be comfortable with it either.

"I'm gobsmacked. In the week where Australian workers are being marched off the job in Kurri Kurri and Tullamarine that we're marching Chinese workers onto Roy Hill. It just defies logic to me," he said.

Outspoken MP Bob Katter also faulted the Government's move, branding it a ludicrous decision which erodes confidence in the national economy.

"These people are so lacking in patriotism and so committed to looking after the interests of corporations that invariably are foreign owned or foreign financed, that they have agreed to fly in people from overseas," Mr Katter said.

"They will undermine our awards and they will take your jobs, and I don't just mean in mining - it'll spread beyond that.

"The Australian people will not stand for this."

When the only backers of Bowen's foreign workers decision are Clive & Gina it's clear it's a bad call - even Twiggy is opposed.

Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes, via Twitter
The AMWU says the move sets a dangerous precedent and is a slap in the face for the domestic workforce.

"The respect we believe all employees should have for Australian workers I think is going out the window," union secretary Andrew Dettmer said.

"What we will be seeing is employers like Gina Rinehart and others, Clive Palmer, BHP, trying to import more compliant and complacent work forces, ones who don't have a commitment to the local economy, who don't have a commitment to the local community, and of course are only coming here for the dollar.

The CMFEU's national secretary Dave Noonan says the announcement has been mired in "spin and nonsense", and claims there are plenty of avenues for Ms Rinehart to hire overseas workers in specific roles without offering local workers the jobs first.

He says his union has been flooded with calls, emails and texts from concerned members, and it represents a "sell-out" of Australian jobs.

"The project would create many more jobs for Australian workers if Australians were given the opportunity to apply for them first.

"Australia's migration policy has been handed over holus-bolus to Gina Rinehart."

Our Future

The globe is sadly groaning with debt, poverty and strife
And billions now are pleading to enjoy a better life
Their hope lies with resources buried deep within the earth
And the enterprise and capital which give each project worth
Is our future threatened with massive debts run up by political hacks
Who dig themselves out by unleashing rampant tax
The end result is sending Australian investment, growth and jobs offshore
This type of direction is harmful to our core
Some envious unthinking people have been conned
To think prosperity is created by waving a magic wand
Through such unfortunate ignorance, too much abuse is hurled
Against miners, workers and related industries who strive to build the world
Develop North Australia, embrace multiculturalism and welcome short term foreign workers to our shores
To benefit from the export of our minerals and ores
The world's poor need our resources: do not leave them to their fate
Our nation needs special economic zones and wiser government, before it is too late.

I've got one thing to say.

UNBLOODYBELIEVABLE

Gina owns Julia.

Next step Australia.

glee wrote on May 26^th, 2012 at 11:47am:


yep and I bet your friend will be sidelined in favour of the foreign workers Not only that if your friend did get a job she would have to pay ripoff rents just to live there

these are the future job prospects for the youth

Like I said this must be noddy land !!

its racist to oppose immigration and foreign workers.

JC Denton wrote on May 26^th, 2012 at 4:32pm:


and it's racist to ignore workers here

Bobby. wrote on May 26^th, 2012 at 6:48pm:


and we allowed them to buy up and land bank properties here whilst jacking up the prices and whose hair brain idea was that ?

try and do that in china or japan !! lets see who are the racists then !!