MAY 5, 2015: I am backing calls for an investigation into claims of illegal practices by labour hire companies in food industries, following the airing of allegations on the ABC’s Four Corners program last night.However I totally reject the inference that all farmers are running exploitative slave labour rackets. There is no doubt that these illegal practices by labour hire companies need to be jumped on, and I support calls for a multi-jurisdictional investigation.I’ve actually been calling for Fair Work, ASIC and the Australian Taxation Office to act on this for a long time, because I have had farmers in the Bowen area come to me with complaints.I have been told that some of these labour hire operators pretty much act like underworld gang lords.Some farmers have terminated their contracts with them because they suspected untoward practices.In one case it was reported that someone had a Molotov cocktail thrown through their window in Bowen when they complained about labour hire company practices, but that was quite a few years ago.The multi-jurisdictional investigation could include the ATO, Fair Work Australia, ASIC, the Department of Immigration and relevant state government bodies.I reject the tone of the ABC Four Corners story, which implied that most food producers harboured “dirty secrets”.Unfortunately it seems that the ABC likes to demonise farmers.There was an inference that every farm was running a slave labour operation.That is absolutely not the case and I reject the demonization of an entire industry.Generally they are fair employers running good operations, and farmers can be unwitting victims themselves. They can’t find the workers they need, so they rely on the labour hire companies to source the workers.The industry needs to be cleaned up, but calls to close or limit the 417 Visa scheme would cause untold problems in the Bowen area.