Tony Burke’s backpacker visa crackdown is a disaster for the bush

News24 host Peta Credlin heavily criticised Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s long-awaited speech to the National Press Club announcing Labor's new migration policy. “Many of you will know that a lot of backpackers work hard in regional areas to both extend their visas and earn enough money to travel,” Ms Credlin said. “They do jobs like fruit picking and seasonal farm labour that a lot of Australians are now too lazy to do themselves. “Not only is this work needed to power our ag [agriculture] sector, but most of the time, every dollar they earn in Australia is spent in Australia before they return home. “This policy will make little difference to the overall numbers but will hurt farmers and regional communities. “And the rest of us, because if farmers can't be assured that they can get their crop to market, they won't plant it. “So we will end up importing food if we don't grow it ourselves. “This was a dumb move announced today, but what would you expect when Burke lives in inner-city Sydney and clearly has no interest in what happens over the Great Dividing Range.”