One Nation’s candidate for a crucial NSW by-election has declared that immigration is not too high and more foreign workers should be brought into Australia immediately, before winding back his comments a day later.
David Farley, who is neck-and-neck in the polls with Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe for the seat of Farrer but may win with the help of Coalition preferences, made the comments at a debate hosted by Charles Sturt University on Friday.
Moderator Barry Cassidy listed the previous three financial years’ net overseas migration levels of 528,000, 429,000 and 306,000, and asked Mr Farley about One Nation’s target which he described as being “about half that”, even though Pauline Hanson said in March she wanted net overseas migration of negative 100,000.
One Nation candidate for Farrer David Farley says net overseas migration of 306,000 is “not too many”, and more foreign workers are needed “quickly”
Party leader Pauline Hanson has said it should be negative 100,000.
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Mr Farley, who previously donated to the Labor Party and campaigned to fill abattoir jobs with Indian immigrants, first claimed his party only wanted to “match immigration to need and demand” and said “Australia’s been great at immigration, but we’ve just got to get better at it now”.
“But is 306,000 too many?” Mr Cassidy asked.
“Is 306,000 too many? No, it’s probably not,” Mr Farley responded.
“If we’re successful in One Nation’s water policies, we’re going to need more labour and we’re going to need more labour quickly, skilled labour.”
Mr Cassidy then asked Liberal candidate Raissa Butkowski the same question, and she replied: “Look, I don’t think that there’s a golden figure in terms of what’s right or what’s wrong. I just think that currently there is too much immigration.
“There has been such a burden placed on our infrastructure, on our health services, on our housing and currently my understanding is that there are 77,000 people who are in this country who should not be.”
Mr Farley’s comments put him at odds with Ms Hanson, who stated in February that One Nation’s migration target of 130,000 would result in net negative immigration, and on Saturday afternoon he wound them back in a statement on social media.
“Last night I was asked if 306,000 migrants each year is too many. Yes. We must slash immigration to reduce housing demand and put Australians first. One Nation will cap immigration at 130,000 per year,” he said.
“We need to catch up on housing, services, water and infrastructure for Australians already living here. We need an immigration policy that works in our national interest, not against it. In the middle of a housing crisis, 306,000 per year is way too many.”
Farrer goes to the polls on May 9 in a by-election forced by the resignation of former Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who presided over her party’s collapse in the polls after she scrapped migration targets and worked with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to pass controversial “hate speech” and “hate groups” laws.
Header image: Left, David Farley and Pauline Hanson (One Nation). Right, David Farley in the debate (YouTube).
