Coalition Plans Sharp Migration Cut as It Targets One Nation Voters
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is expected to unveil a Coalition plan to cut Australia’s net overseas migration, with the target reportedly linked to housing and infrastructure capacity.
OPINION & VOICES
Australia’s Coalition leadership has agreed on a new migration policy as the opposition seeks to win back voters attracted to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, according to reports by the Australian Financial Review and the Sydney Morning Herald.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is expected to announce the policy on Tuesday, following a party room vote. The plan would set a new annual net overseas migration target below Labor’s current position but above One Nation’s proposed level.
The Australian Financial Review reported that the Coalition’s target would fall between One Nation’s 130,000 and Labor’s 225,000. The Sydney Morning Herald, meanwhile, reported that the policy could aim to reduce net migration to 100,000 in its first year if the Coalition wins the next federal election.
The reports differ on the precise figure, and the Coalition has not yet publicly confirmed the final target.
Migration target linked to housing
The proposed policy would reportedly prioritise migrants considered most valuable to the Australian economy. The annual migration figure could also be linked to the number of homes and infrastructure projects built across the country.
The approach would allow the Coalition to argue that migration levels should reflect Australia’s capacity to provide housing, transport, services and other infrastructure.
According to party sources cited by the Sydney Morning Herald, the plan would be budget-neutral over a four-year budget period.
The policy is designed to reduce migration while limiting the impact on economic growth. The Coalition is expected to present the proposal as a targeted reduction rather than a broad restriction on migration.
Coalition seeks One Nation voters
The policy comes as the Coalition attempts to regain support from voters who have shifted towards One Nation.
Pauline Hanson’s party has promoted a much tougher migration position, including a period of negative net migration. That stance has attracted support from some voters but has also drawn criticism from economists, who have warned that a sharp population decline could damage economic activity and increase the risk of recession.
The Coalition’s reported plan would seek to occupy a position between Labor’s migration policy and One Nation’s more restrictive approach.
The opposition is expected to argue that Australia can maintain economic growth while reducing migration to levels it says are more consistent with housing and infrastructure supply.
Labor has already announced reduction plans
Labor announced details last month of how it plans to reduce net overseas migration.
The government has committed to lowering net migration from more than 300,000 in the last financial year to 245,000 in the current year.
The Coalition’s proposal would set a lower target than Labor’s planned figure, although the final policy details including the exact annual target, timing and migration categories affected are expected to become clearer after the party room vote and public announcement.
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