The newly selected NSW Opposition leader has refused to back a migration cut, saying that Australia needs to import “extra taxpayers” because birth rates are below replacement level.
Member for Vaucluse Kellie Sloane, who was elected unopposed to take over from Mark Speakman as Liberal leader on Friday, made the comments in an interview on Sky New Australia on Sunday, following her first public outing a day earlier to “Little India” in the immigrant-dominated suburb of Harris Park.
During the trip Ms Sloane, a first-term MP and former TV presenter, wore an Indian scarf, attached a red dot to her forehead and said she was looking forward to a “lot of engagement” with the Indian community in Parramatta.
Asked by Sunday Agenda host Andrew Clennell if she believed Australia needed to cut immigration, Ms Sloane said: “Well, I think we need to make sure that migration intake is balanced with our ability to provide infrastructure, housing and support for communities.
“One of the things I talked about … was our ability to sustain our population, in NSW, and across the country, we have a declining birth rate, the average woman is having 1.48 babies, that’s not enough to support you and I when we’re older, and we need extra taxpayers.
“So immigration is going to be important, but getting the balance right is also important.”
Ms Sloane went on to criticise Labor for virtually axing IVF rebates, and said any immigration cut needed to be accompanied by a fertility boost, and said she’s “love to see the federal government look at things like Peter Costello’s baby bonus”.
Australia has taken in more than 1.5 million immigrants over the past three years, despite repeated polls showing a majority of voters want migration cut, fuelling a housing and rental crisis.
Discontent over the issue has given One Nation a popularity boost, with a poll last week showing Pauline Hanson’s party is seen as best able to handle immigration and winning a record 18% of the primary vote, while federal Coalition leader Sussan Ley has refused to set a net overseas migration target.
One the same program on Sunday Ms Sloane said she would respect the position of Coalition partners the Nationals on “net zero” despite her party recently reaffirming its commitment to the 2050 emissions reduction target.
The NSW Nationals under new leader Gurmesh Singh have agreed in principle with the federal Coalition’s dumping of “net zero”, and when asked about her position Ms Sloane responded that she was “not going to overturn a decision that was made within the last week”.
Header image: Left, Kellie Sloane on Sunday Agenda (Sky New Australia. Right, at Harris Park on Saturday (Indians in Sydney – Facebook).
