"Pauline Hanson has welcomed Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s pledge to put “Aussie workers first”, saying it vindicated the One Nation founder’s much-criticised warnings against foreign labour more than a decade ago."

However, pretty much everyone else is horrified by Gillard's dog whistling.

"An adviser to the federal government on skilled migration says some of the prime minister's comments about health workers seem nasty. Professor Peter McDonald told the ABC's 730 Report on Thursday those comments were 'pretty nasty stuff'.

'I think it really undermines the system,' Prof McDonald said. 'The prime minister has talked about health workers for example in, I think, quite a nasty way.'

Another federal government adviser on skilled migration, Michael Easson, told ABC television he would like to see the government or anyone else give up any evidence of any rorting.

Also

"Australian technology industry figures have condemned Prime Minister Julia Gillard for ''desperate vote mongering'' over ''outrageous'' comments she made accusing IT firms of abusing the skilled migration scheme."

This is all extremely ironic since it was Gillard as shadow immigration minister that condemed in strong words Hanson's crusade against 457 visas.

Unsure SM of the worth of either but miss use of 457 has taken place.
Gillard however is dog whistling in this case.
Only last year Labor, and myself, supported Gina,s right to have them on a project that could not start without them.
Truly think I see an attempt to get unions and workers on side, not real concerns about them.
We should remember as the news storey,s say, Doctors and health workers in out back Australia uses the 457.
Pauline,s glory days are behind her Abbott has stolen her policy,s and a long list of failing to get back on the horse leave her little chance.

Belly,

Actually, there is no evidence that misuse of the 457 visa has occurred. While the visas have increased this year, they also dropped previously, and are well below their peak, so the fact that the numbers fluctuate are not evidence in themselves of misuse.

Juliar probably won't be able to show statistics of people caught out as to save the budget, she and Swanny reduced the people at customs who enforce it.

As Juliar was one of the most vocal to blast Hanson when she raised the issue, Juliar raising it now is pure hypocrisy and pandering to the unions.

Maybe if the States didn't implement such large cutbacks in TAFE training, we would have more qualified local people.

Should there be limits or is it possible to replace every local worker with imported labour?

Training under Labor, certainty not the Liberals, has been good.
Having met and worked with many 457 visa holders, in my union official days they often have skills we are short of.
Even more often, not all work in mining, they will work and live in areas others will not.
Forgive me if I am wrong, Gillard heads the ALP is that policys of that party?
I think a list of this womans policy,s, flops mostly, remember she can not claim many good ones.
Highlights her insulting view of us, the average voter, she thinks we will blindly follow such as cash for clunkers, this near racist rant and much more.

rache,
If the states had have been properly managed, there would be sufficient money for everything.

Waste and missmanagement were the order of the day,at least here in QLD.

But seriously, most up coming Aussies just don't want to work hard, full stop.

Many i see most within the SCG industry are on appearance money, with a little effort thrown in here and there.

I have also witnessed the construction of a large power line.

By in far the best workers on site are the Phillipinos, they arrive for work, don't scratch their nuts and have a smoke, they start work and, when they finnish, they don't automatically head off to the pub.

I also assume a fair chunk of their pay goes home to their families, rather than over the bar.

So it's our work attitudes that have created the need for these imported workers, not everyone's, but many.