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News
Backlash hasn't slowed govt's EMA agenda, Bowen says
03-08-2012
The backlash over a deal to bring foreign workers to Australian mines hasn't slowed the government's resolve to strike similar agreements, the immigration minister says.
Chris Bowen has denied the government has slowed down the approval process for enterprise migration agreements (EMAs).
The EMAs allow mining companies to import foreign workers on a temporary basis to help build projects.
The government has given in-principle approval for an EMA at the Roy Hill iron ore project in Western Australia's Pilbara, but copped a backlash from unions and its own caucus over the deal, which is still being negotiated.
At a mining industry conference on labour, Bowen was asked if there had been a slowdown in the approval process for EMAs and other labour agreements.
"Not at all," Bowen told the conference.
"There's been no slowdown in approval of EMAs because we only have a certain number of applications."
He said the Roy Hill EMA took a long time to get in-principle approval because the government wanted to get it right.
"The ball's often in the court of the proponent as much as the government in ensuring that those negotiations are progressing," he said.
"There's been no slowdown in negotiating times in labour agreements separate to EMAs."
Bowen later refused to tell reporters how many companies had applied for EMAs but said it was "a small number" of projects mostly spread across the boom states of Queensland and Western Australia.
He said between 30 and 50 current and future projects qualify for an EMA, but a much smaller number would be in the pipeline at any particular time.
Chris Bowen has denied the government has slowed down the approval process for enterprise migration agreements (EMAs).
The EMAs allow mining companies to import foreign workers on a temporary basis to help build projects.
The government has given in-principle approval for an EMA at the Roy Hill iron ore project in Western Australia's Pilbara, but copped a backlash from unions and its own caucus over the deal, which is still being negotiated.
At a mining industry conference on labour, Bowen was asked if there had been a slowdown in the approval process for EMAs and other labour agreements.
"Not at all," Bowen told the conference.
"There's been no slowdown in approval of EMAs because we only have a certain number of applications."
He said the Roy Hill EMA took a long time to get in-principle approval because the government wanted to get it right.
"The ball's often in the court of the proponent as much as the government in ensuring that those negotiations are progressing," he said.
"There's been no slowdown in negotiating times in labour agreements separate to EMAs."
Bowen later refused to tell reporters how many companies had applied for EMAs but said it was "a small number" of projects mostly spread across the boom states of Queensland and Western Australia.
He said between 30 and 50 current and future projects qualify for an EMA, but a much smaller number would be in the pipeline at any particular time.
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