The number of third-year working holiday visa places has fallen from 31,000 to just over 5,000 under changes introduced by the Albanese government. Backpackers who have spent six months working in regional areas, such as Far North Queensland's tourism and agricultural sectors, now face a lottery for a place.
Italian backpacker Rocco Raseri, who completed six months as a chef in Cairns, said the uncertainty meant he would not have taken the work if he had known his spot was not guaranteed. "Probably just travelling in Australia to see as much as I can see, instead of staying six months in Cairns," he said.
Australian National University political marketing expert Andrew Hughes said the policy put regional MPs in a tight spot. "It creates that wedge and that perception that the government has forgotten about the regions," he said. Dr Hughes identified several vulnerable seats including Lingiari in the NT, Bullwinkel in WA, and regional seats in Tasmania and NSW. He said Queensland was most at risk, particularly the far northern seat of Leichhardt, held by Labor's Matt Smith on a 9.5 per cent swing. "The rise of One Nation" was also a factor, he added.
Labor gained seven new Queensland seats at the last election, lifting its total to 12 out of 30, though the LNP narrowly won the statewide vote.