A local mum faces an $8000 bill next year to send her two kids to Freo primary, because she is on a 457 visa.

She says the charge—included in Troy Buswell’s horror state budget last week—will financially cripple her family. Aussie families with kids in state school barely cough up more than $200 per child.

Mr Buswell says there are 8600 457 visa kids in WA schools, “putting a significant strain on the school system”.

The charge should net the cash-strapped Liberal-National government a cool $120 million over four years.

“As Brits we pay the same tax as Aussies but are getting hammered financially for education and health,” the visa mum told the Herald. “In order to avoid the Medicare levy we were told recently we would have to take out a health policy which was essentially worthless, that is, we couldn’t actually claim against but was just an exercise to tick the box for tax purposes to avoid the one per cent charge but only save a couple of hundred bucks.

“These policies for 457 visa holders are loads more expensive than a permanent resident or Australian family would have to pay.”

The family of four moved from Huddersfield in the north of England in November and is weighing up whether to head home: “If you are already on a 457 visa you shouldn’t have to pay, or it should be deferred for a year or two so families can financially plan,” she says. “It was released in August and in starts in January so we have to find the money pretty quickly.

“It would cost the same to send our kids to a private school, but we chose to get our children educated at a local school.”

Fremantle Labor MP Simone McGurk says the LibNats encourage skilled workers to come on 457visas, rather than train locals, and then mug them when they get here: “This is a mean and heartless government, leaving families to pick up the bill for its mismanagement of the state’s finances.”

by BRENDAN FOSTER