Foreign workers crucial to filling jobs in Australia's vital services: Deputy PM

Foreign workers will continue to play a leading part in filling positions in vital services in rural Australia, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said Monday.

In defence of the government's Temporary Skilled Work (457) visa regulations, in which foreign workers are allowed to work in Australia for up to four years, Joyce said that overseas workers are vital to the rural Australian workforce as urban-based professionals continue to shun moving out of the cities.

Using the example of doctors, Joyce said that many regional communities would have no local doctors if only Australian-educated practitioners were allowed to practice.

He said that while, in a perfect world, locally-trained doctors would be available to all Australians regardless of post code, it would simply never happen as many local doctors were unable or unwilling to move out of major cities.

Joyce said the government's 457 visa regulations hit a "sweet spot" which the opposition's planned regulations would miss.

"The first thing that all Australians would love in their town is an Australian doctor," Joyce told Guardian Australia.

"And if they can't get an Australian doctor, the next best thing is a foreign doctor. It's a real worry for people in regional Australia that if you or your child gets sick, there simply is no doctor there."

Joyce said Australian Medical Association claims that there were "too many" doctors already in Australia were misleading, and said foreign workers coming into Australia on the 457 visa were "necessary" for communities outside of major cities.

"Now the Australian Medical Association might say that there are too many doctors coming on line, but maybe they all live in (inner-city Sydney)," Joyce said.

"The only way we can attract people to many of these towns is if the business structure is complete and furnished with all the rights skills at all the right levels.

"And foreign workers are often necessary for that. People in regional towns expect that."

Joyce added that those from regional areas get upset when organizations such as the AMA makes claims that there are enough local doctors when it simply isn't true outside of the major cities.

"If doctors wanted to spread themselves evenly across the country, then we would all probably be okay," Joyce said. "But they don't." Endit