Guest worker plan cut back
Steve Lewis: The Advertiser | August 09, 2008
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24150035-5006301,00.html
KEVIN Rudd has dramatically scaled back plans for a controversial Pacific “guest-worker” scheme amid concerns of a community backlash.
The Coalition has already raised concerns over the radical immigration plan which would allow islanders to work in rural communities for up to seven months.
But with unemployment on the rise, the Rudd Government has halved the number of participants to just 2500 over three years.
Only three countries – Tonga, Kiribati and Vanuatu – will be involved in the pilot scheme, although the Government is keen …