LNP candidate for Kennedy Frank Beveridge says Labor's proposals to change workplace laws around casual employment would be a threat to farms reliant on casual seasonal labour.
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Speaking from Innisfail where he watched backpackers pick bananas, Mr Beveridge said the industry relied on a flexible workforce.
"Flexible workforces make farms happen (and) make things flow smoothly," Mr Beveridge said. "If there is a change to labour laws under a Labor government this industry will find it very hard to make a profit."
His call comes after Labor candidate Brett McGuire said casualisation of the workforce was a major concern.
Mr McGuire said if elected Labor would change some of the "dodgy labour hire" practices and make changes to the Fair Act to improve the system.
Labor has promised to ensure workers employed through a labour hire company will receive the same pay and conditions as permanent employees.
Mr McGuire said there were are too many workers in Australia subject to unfair labour hire practices, often treated like second class citizens with lower wages, worse conditions and no job security.
"Two workers with the same training and experience, doing the same job side by side, should be paid the same amount. Labor's 'same job, same pay' policy will ensure that labour hire workers are paid and treated fairly, and are not used to undermine the pay and conditions of direct employees," Mr McGuire said.
"Labor will also introduce a national labour hire licensing scheme within the office of the Fair Work Ombudsman to protect workers from exploitation, providing an important floor of standards. We will require all labour hire companies to be licensed, and companies that are based overseas and supply labour to Australian firms, either directly or through other companies, will also have to be licensed to do business here."
A Queensland Department of Agriculture report in 2018 found that in 2017, there were 52,800 people employed in agriculture in Queensland, though there was no breakdown of permanent and casual labour.
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