One Nation’s New South Wales upper house candidate Stuart Bonds has expressed support for the guest worker immigration systems employed by Gulf countries, despite concerns over worker safety and migrant deaths associated with these programs.
Bonds, who was unveiled last month as Pauline Hanson’s lead candidate for the NSW upper house, praised the short-term migrant labor models used by nations such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. He described the schemes as effective methods of hiring foreign workers for specific infrastructure projects, with the understanding that these workers return to their home countries upon completion of their employment.
During a recent podcast appearance, Bonds stated that such systems involve migrants entering a country solely for the purpose of employment and then leaving once their contract ends. “How do you think the Saudis and the Kuwaitis and that, they build all their soccer stadiums and they do all that sort of thing? They bring in workers to do their job and they go home,” he said.
These remarks come amid international scrutiny over the treatment of migrant laborers in the Gulf region. Qatar previously acknowledged hiring approximately 30,000 foreign workers to construct facilities for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Data compiled from source countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have estimated that as many as 6,500 migrant workers died while undertaking these projects. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the International Labour Organisation, have criticized the hazardous working conditions and inadequate safety protections in place.
Similar concerns have been raised in relation to Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with warnings of a likely increase in migrant laborer fatalities associated with extensive stadium construction plans.
Bonds emphasized, however, that he does not condone safety violations. “We obviously have an industrial relations system and safety record we should be proud,” he said, adding that his endorsement of the guest worker model excludes “clear safety breaches.”
He also criticized Australia’s visa system, suggesting that allowing migrants to switch between visa types or use temporary work as a pathway to permanent residency is unique to the country and differs from the Gulf approach.
The 2027 NSW state election will mark Bonds's fourth attempt to enter parliament. He has previously contested the federal seat of Hunter three times as a One Nation candidate, most notably in 2019, when he received over 21 percent of the first-preference vote against incumbent Labor member Joel Fitzgibbon.
In the lead-up to the election, NSW Labor has targeted One Nation policies, with Premier Chris Minns warning the party poses the primary political threat in the state. Minns asserted that if the government falls in March 2027, it is more likely to be replaced by a One Nation-led administration rather than a coalition one.
Minns criticized One Nation’s proposed tax cut plan, estimating it would cost $65 billion over the forward estimates period. He urged political parties to clarify how revenue shortfalls would be managed without saddling future generations with debt.
Bonds responded by stating Labor’s criticism signals awareness of One Nation as a significant contender. He also highlighted the party’s plan to freeze public service growth in NSW, which he claims would save $9 billion immediately, alongside introducing government department performance benchmarks modeled on private sector practices.