Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Angus Taylor have met twice this week to explore the possibility of a deal on measures to tighten the migration system.
The talks come as the government has struggled to finalise reforms to stop rorts and to help bring down the Net Overseas Migration (NOM) from the present about 300,000 to the budget target of 225,000 in 2027-28.
The discussions between the two leaders reflect a desire by both sides to reduce the heat around the migration issue, which is being fuelled by One Nation to the disadvantage of the major parties.
Measures being discussed include reining in “visa-hopping” and the exploitation of visas for students, working holiday makers and temporary workers. The government is also anxious to curb the use of asylum claims as a way for people to drag out their stays.
Views vary on whether the discussions are likely to come to any agreement. Taylor was downbeat on Thursday, saying the reality was “we’re not getting what we ask for and so right now we don’t have a position we can move forward on”.
If they do reach some agreement, that would follow bipartisan deals on legislation on gambling reform and on the arrangements for media bargaining with digital platforms.
Even if there were a deal, it would still leave a contested issue between the government and opposition over the desirable level of immigration, which the opposition wants to cut to under 170,000. Also, the opposition would continue to advocate for measures on which agreement could not be reached.
Taylor wrote to Albanese this week with a long wish list of measures the opposition says should be enacted including:
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toughening provisions to stop terrorist sympathisers entering the country
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establishing a UK-style Safe Country List “to root out illegitimate applicants for humanitarian protection”
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stopping welfare for those denied a visa
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cutting back on visa-hopping and tying international students to a sponsoring educational institution
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restricting eligibility for the Temporary Graduate Visa to those with qualifications in skills most in demand.
This week South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas warned against “the prospect of mainstream politics entering a political race to the bottom for who can cut migration numbers the most”. He said this was “madness”.
“The correct policy response to Australia’s present economic challenges and the realisation of tomorrow’s economic opportunities is this: above all else, preserve our strong migration program,” Malinauskas said.
He said the “correct political response to anti-immigration politics and populists is not appeasement”.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Author/s: Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
