About 50 Tongan workers have arrived at Robinvale to help with the almond harvest.
They are part of a trial that is expected to eventually bring in about 2,500 fruit pickers.
Gillard, who is also the Australian employment minister, said it’s more expensive for employers to get workers through the pilot program and she’s confident they’re not taking jobs from locals.
“We have been very careful with the design of this pilot scheme to make sure that employers have to go through all of our labor market programs to try to get Australian workers first. Only if they can’t get Australian workers can they get access to this program,” she said.
“But I would hope that they would also understand that it’s been vital to the government and the community that we need to set this up carefully to make sure every step is taking properly and to make sure this is a well-regulated program that is going to work.”
While the scheme has been criticized in some quarters for its potential impact on local unemployment, stone fruit farmers in Australia say they would have preferred that the scheme had started when it was originally scheduled, last year.
Fruit picking in many areas has finished, so the Tongan workers are now helping to bring in the almond crop.
Gillard said she understands why people would want access to the program and the help it offers.
