ELECTRICIAN jobs and consumer safety could be at risk because of part of the China-Australia free trade agreement, Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters says.
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Under the agreement, Chinese workers on temporary work visas in 10 occupations, including electricians, will no longer have to meet Australian standards.
Ms Chesters said she had received more than 300 email from people in the Bendigo electorate expressing concern at the deal.
“It could mean that, rather than coming to Australia and sitting the Australian test and meeting standards, they bypass that and can go straight into working in our community,” she said.
“People who are electricians, people who are working in trades, people who are accessing those services want to know the person rocking up to their house has the skills and qualifications and do meet Australian safety standards.”
Australia is recognised as having some of the highest standards of electrical safety in the world, while there are more than 70,000 workplace deaths in China every year.
Several unions have voiced their concern at the deal.
Ms Chesters said it was not just electricians who were concerned at the deal, but people with children in schools and hospital workers as well.
“At the moment, the deal that the government has done with China is putting local jobs at risk,” she said.
The change put China in line with countries like the United States and Japan.
Trade Minister Andrew Robb described the concerns as a “xenophobic scare” campaign and that the opposition was “anti-trade”.
He said applicants would still need to show evidence of their skills before receiving a visa.
Labor has promised to renegotiate the part of the agreement with China should it win next year’s federal election.