Farmers warn of empty shelves

Australia's farming lobby says restrictions on backpackers and temporary migrants will cause immediate labor shortages, leading to unharvested crops, higher food prices, and emptier supermarket shelves before Christmas.

“We will see emptier supermarkets ... We will not be able to finish the harvest this year, before Christmas.”

Burke rejects price increase claims

Immigration Minister Tony Burke says the government's reforms are carefully designed to reduce migration while protecting essential services, and that faster backpacker visa processing will actually help agriculture.

New ballot system for backpackers

Backpackers wanting to stay in Australia beyond one year will enter a new ballot with severely restricted places for years two and three, though those working in regional areas may get faster visa processing.

Pacific workers and wage standards

Burke says agriculture can tap the Pacific Australia labour mobility scheme for workers and notes that producers have legal obligations to pay staff adequately, rejecting the idea that lower food prices should rely on worker exploitation.

“I don't think consumers believe their pathway to paying less should rely on worker exploitation.”

Increased enforcement and detention

The government will add 100 compliance officers and 250 detention beds to enforce visa overstaying rules, though Burke says this measured approach differs from hardline enforcement in countries like the United States.

Asylum advocates call it soulless

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi criticize the plan as using migrants as political punching bags, with increased detention and restrictions on foreign students bringing family members.

“Labor's move to force people to choose between their family and a chance to study in Australia is soulless mimicry of One Nation tactics.”

Business groups split on reforms

Mining and major employers praise the reforms, but the hospitality sector warns of chef and cook shortages, while business groups caution that relying on ministerial directives rather than legislation leaves policy vulnerable.

Nationals accuse government of scapegoating

Opposition leader Matt Canavan says the government is using farmers and regional industries as scapegoats for failing to bring down overall migration numbers.