Watch this one unfold

Our good friends Halliburton have been accused of bringing in overseas workers to dig ditches and paying them $40 a day for their labour. Now, despite the fact that this firm has been known to do this in other countries, a quick look at the issue (or a quick phone call from Halliburton HQ in the US) has satisfied Amanda Vanstone that they're doing no such thing.
She issued a press release saying as much:

http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media_releases/media06/v06016.htm
In part -
13 February, 2006
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Amanda Vanstone, today rejected claims overseas workers employed by a drilling company on the South Australian gas fields were being exploited. The Minister said the four Indonesian workers at Cooper Basin were appropriately employed by Halliburton Australia.'I have been advised by my department, which has checked with the sponsor - Halliburton Australia - that the men were in fact being paid an appropriate salary,' Senator Vanstone said. 'Reports that the overseas workers were only being paid $40 and $80 per day are grossly inaccurate. I'm told these figures are in fact day bonuses, which were being paid in addition to the men's salaries."

My feeling is that they probably were paying slave wages - the unions are looking into the matter so one hopes the truth will come out.