Coalition Plan Would Cut Net Migration to 100,000 a Year

The Coalition has released a migration policy it describes as the biggest reduction in arrivals in Australian history, with deputy opposition leader Senator Jane Hume saying much of it could be put in place quickly if the party wins government.

The package would bring net overseas migration down to 100,000 a year for the first two years. It would also reduce the number of temporary visa holders by about 650,000 over four years, halve the humanitarian intake to 10,000 places a year and cap international student commencements at 240,000.

Speaking on 4BC Brisbane, Senator Hume said a Coalition government could act fast. She said many of the changes rely on levers that do not need new legislation, so the first reductions could start almost immediately. Once numbers begin to fall, she expects relief to follow in housing, health care, education and infrastructure.

Hume pointed to population growth as the source of the strain. By her account, about 1.5 million people have arrived in Australia over the past four and a half years, putting heavy pressure on housing supply, hospitals and public services. The Coalition wants that reversed while lifting the skill level of those who do come.

The argument, she said, is about productivity. An economy that grows by becoming more productive, rather than simply by adding people, can support wage rises without fuelling inflation.

Housing, hospitals and aged care

Asked whether housing, hospitals and aged care should be the priority, Hume said they should be, and that demand pressure is currently being driven by large numbers of arrivals and a big pool of temporary migrants. She acknowledged there are also supply constraints and that Australia still needs workers in construction, aged care and hospitals. Her answer was to favour skilled permanent migrants over temporary visa holders, unskilled arrivals and people who overstay.

Universities in the firing line

Universities and some business groups have objected to the plan, particularly the student cap. Hume said she was not concerned about the financial hit to universities. Her focus, she said, is on the quality of education and on Australian students being served first.

She cited Monash University in Melbourne, where a recently published list of courses showed many with international students making up around 65 per cent of enrolments or more. In her view that heavy reliance on overseas students is hurting educational outcomes and the student experience.

Hume said international students should be welcomed and should get a good experience, but that they are expected to return home after finishing their studies. Those who want to come back as skilled migrants should reapply from overseas rather than switching onshore, using the skills they have gained.

Training and red tape

The host raised concerns that trades and nursing qualifications from other countries may not match Australian standards, and asked whether red tape could be cut to get new arrivals job-ready faster. Hume said that part of the migration package has not been released yet. A skills announcement covering both Australians and incoming workers is still to come.

The host, Jason, said he backed the policy in full, but noted the Coalition first has to win government to deliver it.