Inquiry into working holiday makers in the time of COVID-19

THE Joint Standing Committee on Migration will be holding three days of hearings for its inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker program on 9, 10 and 11 September.

Committee Chair Julian Leeser MP noted that the hearings so far have mostly focused on Working Holiday Makers and the agriculture sector, and the Committee will turn its focus to other important matters.

“In our inquiry so far, we have received much evidence on the impact of border closures and the departure of approximately 50,000 Working Holiday Makers on the agriculture industry,” Mr Leeser said.

“This week’s hearings will further explore the broader context of the Working Holiday Maker visa, as the Committee talks with representatives of the tourism industry, and organisations and individuals involved in protecting Working Holiday Makers from exploitation in the workplace.

“Crucially, the Committee will also hear from some Working Holiday Makers themselves, about their experiences of the program,” Mr Leeser said. 

“The Committee has received a large amount of correspondence from Working Holiday Makers both onshore and offshore and will be taking this into account when making recommendations.”

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday 9 September 2020
Time: 12.30pm – 4pm
Location: by teleconference

Date: Thursday 10 September 2020
Time: 12.30pm – 4pm
Location: by teleconference

Date: Friday 11 September 2020
Time: 9am – 11.30am
Location: by videoconference

The hearing will be streamed at aph.gov.au/live.

Further details on the inquiry, including the terms of reference, are available on the inquiry website.

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