The Immigration Minister Chris Evans says Australia needs to consider allowing more unskilled migrants into the country if it wants to address the labour shortage.

Kym Fuhrmann reports.

"Senator Evans says Australia's immigration policy needs to be more responsive to Australia's skills needs. He's predicting a 'great debate' on the idea of bringing in more unskilled migrants. Senator Evans says at the moment the debate is centred on accepting labour from the South Pacific on a trial basis.'To see if they can't help meet the needs of the agricultural industry perhaps in Queensland.' In last week's Budget the Federal Government announced migration numbers would rise to 300-thousand people a year, the biggest rise in more than 50 years."

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