Eight local welders were sacked while eight visa workers were kept on. "It stinks" says JIM McGIVERON

"With thousands of WA workers losing their jobs I believe it's time to scale down Australia's migrant and refugee intake. During the mining boom thousands of foreign workers were flown into Australia on temporary 457 working visas. These people were brought here to fill a critical shortage of skilled workers during the boom.
That boom has well and truly busted and the jobs outlook is pretty dire by anyone's estimation. The first serious proof of this came with the sacking of 1800 workers at BHP's Ravenswood nickel mine."

"Then there was the grim layoff of 160 Harvey Beef workers who chose unemployment rather than take a 20% pay cut. I also was shocked to read about the eight
Australian welders who were sacked by a Mandurah firm while eight Burmese 457 temporary visa workers were kept on. This was absolutely wrong and the firm
should have held onto its local tradesmen and laid off the visa workers."

"The 457 temporary visas were meant to be exactly that - temporary. They were here to top up labour when skilled locals were not available. As the unemployment situation worsens - as predicted by most economic pundits - so will community demands for a reduction in the intake of migrants. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will need to be on top of this issue early before attitudes harden and a divide develops."

"It was good to see his recent move to cut the migrant intake by 20% - he may need to slash further. There have been times in our history when Australia has greatly benefited from heavy influxes of migrant labour. And these people have helped build our country."

"My father - a carpenter - was one of these people and I am very proud of the small part our family has played. But there are also times where a significant cut in migration and refugee intake is required. And now is such a time."