OCTOBER 21, 2015: NO foreigner will be allowed to fill a job in Australia that an Australian can do under new regulations to be introduced by the Liberal National Government.These regulations apply to the China Australia Free Trade Agreement (CHAFTA), the 457 visa regime, and all other such arrangements, and these regulations have won the support of the Labor Party.It always was the case that Australian workers would get the first go and a fair go at filling Australian jobs and the new regulations will make that doubly so.This means that foreigners will only be allowed to come into the country and fill a job here if no Australian worker can fill that job.When the regulations pass, it will go from being government policy to law.The Labor Party is now satisfied that the appropriate protections are in place for Australian workers, ensuring that foreigners are not stealing Australian jobs and they are now going to back CHAFTA because of the many benefits it provides.The deal with Australia’s largest trading partner will create jobs, economic growth and greater prosperity in the region.CHAFTA will remove tariffs on coal as well as almost all Australian resources and energy products and will also open up more opportunities for Australian services.It will go a long way towards securing jobs for the workers of the Mackay region.The three per cent tariff on coking coal goes as soon as the FTA comes into play, and the six per cent tariff on thermal coal drops by two per cent immediately, with the remainder progressively phased out over two years.This deal gives us a market advantage with our largest resources partner, and eases pressure on the coal industry.Other benefits will flow to the region through significantly improved access for mining and extractive services.OTHER CHAFTA BENEFITS

• 95 per cent of Australian goods exports will be tariff free when CHAFTA is fully implemented
• Businesses that provide technical and field services or consulting services in the resources industry will benefit under what is the best deal on services that China has offered to any FTA partner
• Tariffs on premium agricultural products, as well as on a range of Australian manufactured goods such as pharmaceutical products, car engines, plastic products and processed food will be abolished
• CHAFTA provides new or significantly improved market access in areas including banking, health & aged care, tourism, legal, construction, telecommunications and education services