We asked for workers and got people — life on the controversial visa putting food on your plate

from Big Ideas · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

A workforce we rarely hear about, lives in limbo, and stories from the coalface. From economic gains and cultural exchanges to exploitation and absconding, what are the successes and problems of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme? Who picks and processes those yummy strawberries you're about to put in your shopping trolley, or the crisp veggies you might stir-fry tonight? Did you know it could be a nurse or a police officer from a Pacific Island or Timor Leste on a temporary seasonal visa? Join Natasha Mitchell and guests for this event organised by Griffith University and the Australian National University, and held at the ANU.Original broadcast on June 4, 2025.SpeakersDr Kaya BarryCultural Geographer, artist, senior lecturer, DECRA Research FellowCentre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith UniversityNunes CosbarMusician, photographer, horticultural employee in Australia on a PALM visa. Band member with Lian Husi TimorKen DachiCoordinator, Welcoming Workplaces with Welcoming AustraliaEma VuetiPresident, Pacific Islands Council of Queensland (PICQ)Thanks also to James Lees (Griffith University), Dr Matt Withers (ANU South Asia Research Institute), and Dr Kirstie Petrou (School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra)Further informationTimorese abattoir workers perform at Port Fairy Folk Festival after call for musos (ABC Australia short film)

What this episode covers

A workforce we rarely hear about, lives in limbo, and stories from the coalface. From economic gains and cultural exchanges to exploitation and absconding, what are the successes and problems of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme? Who picks and processes those yummy strawberries you're about to put in your shopping trolley, or the crisp veggies you might stir-fry tonight? Did you know it could be a nurse or a police officer from a Pacific Island or Timor Leste on a temporary seasonal visa? Join Natasha Mitchell and guests for this event organised by Griffith University and the Australian National University, and held at the ANU. Original broadcast on June 4, 2025. Speakers Dr Kaya Barry Cultural Geographer, artist, senior lecturer, DECRA Research Fellow Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University Nunes Cosbar Musician, photographer, horticultural employee in Australia on a PALM visa. Band member with Lian Husi Timor Ken Dachi Coordinator, Welcoming Workplaces with Welcoming Australia Ema Vueti President, Pacific Islands Council of Queensland (PICQ) Thanks also to James Lees (Griffith University), Dr Matt Withers (ANU South Asia Research Institute), and Dr Kirstie Petrou (School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra) Further information Timorese abattoir workers perform at Port Fairy Folk Festival after call for musos (ABC Australia short film)

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We asked for workers and got people — life on the controversial visa putting food on your plate

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This episode is 54 minutes long.

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This episode was published on January 14, 2026.

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