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AustraliaMedicineOverlooked from the right3 days ago

Trump says Australia has a slave labour issue. He’s right

The article discusses US President Donald Trump's claim that Australia has a slave labour issue, focusing on the blueberry industry's reliance on migrant workers on visas and the lack of government oversight to prevent exploitation. It mentions the $500 million blueberry industry and references the NSW Mid North Coast region around Coffs Harbour, where advertisements for blueberry pickers appear in multiple languages.

Sectors like Australia’s blueberry industry, which is reliant on migrant workers on visas, are lacking the necessary government oversight to prevent exploitation.

Jun 18, 2026

7 min read

US President Donald Trump and a person holding blueberries on a farm in NSW (Images: AAP/Crikey)

When Donald Trump raised tariffs on Australia over our reported failure to address forced and slave labour, the Albanese government rebuffed the reasoning. But the allegations themselves have merit — one only needs to look at Australia’s $500 million blueberry industry, described by some as a centre of modern slavery.

In the NSW Mid North Coast region around Coffs Harbour, where about 80% of the crop is grown, advertisements for prospective pickers are appearing across social media —  some in Chinese script and other languages — signalling the start of the new season.

Read the full article at Crikey →
Source document: Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

1 reports

CrikeyIndependentLeft3 days ago
Trump says Australia has a slave labour issue. He’s right

The article discusses US President Donald Trump's claim that Australia has a slave labour issue, focusing on the blueberry industry's reliance on migrant workers on visas and the lack of government oversight to prevent exploitation. It mentions the $500 million blueberry industry and references the NSW Mid North Coast region around Coffs Harbour, where advertisements for blueberry pickers appear in multiple languages.

Bias read (Left): The article presents Trump's claim as having 'merit' and highlights concerns about labor practices without explicitly endorsing Trump's broader policies or rhetoric. The framing emphasizes systemic issues within specific industries rather than attributing blame to any particular political group, but

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