NECA has appeared before the Parliamentary Inquiry into the proposed Free Trade Agreement with China.

NECA CEO Suresh Manickam provided evidence before the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Inquiry, held in Melbourne.

“It’s important that the voices of electrical contractors are heard in this debate given points raised in the traditional media as well as social media,” Mr Manickam said.

“In the context of this issue, NECA has been in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as Minister Robb’s office. We have been reassured on many occasions that there is no change to the state and territory licensing requirements for any applicants under any new arrangements. Further, we have been assured that there will be no dilution of any safety or licensing standards.”

“As is currently the case, once the 475 criteria have been met, the ultimate responsibility for providing an electrical license for any visa applicant remain with the State and Territory bodies. This is process is equally applicable for all applicants, irrespective of their country of origin.”

“Further, we have also been reassured that Labour Market Testing legislation, introduced in November 2013 ensures that Australian employers must first test the local labour market to fill job vacancies.

Stringent safety standards are a critical component to maintaining the hard earned reputation of electrical contractors. NECA supports this initiative as long as our licensing and safety standards are not diminished.

“The evidence we have provided to this morning’s inquiry is clear and unambiguous– NECA supports the implementation of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement so long as licensing and safety standards are not diluted and that Visa applicants continue to be required to provide proof of their skills and knowledge base prior to gaining a visa and applying for a licence,” said Mr Manickam.