Liberal leader Angus Taylor has unveiled the Coalition’s new immigration policy, which is lower than Labor’s target but will allow in hundreds of thousands more foreigners each year than under One Nation.
Mr Taylor announced the policy in Sydney on Tuesday, saying it would result in “the biggest cut to immigration in the history of this country” and be “budget neutral”.
He promised to cut net overseas migration to 100,000 per year for the first two years after the 2028 election, increasing to 130,000 and then 160,000 in the next two years. The policy also includes a cut in foreign student commencements, and the halving of the refugee intake to 10,000/year.
Net overseas migration was 305,000 in the 2024-25 financial year, and Labor aims to bring it down to 225,000 by 2027-28, although it has exceeded all of its migration targets since forming government in 2022.
One Nation is promising net negative overseas migration for the first three years if elected in 2028, followed by a cap of 130,000 after that, along with a crackdown on illegal immigrants, and a ban on arrivals from “do not travel” countries.
Depending on departure numbers, this means the Coalition’s policy will result in hundreds of thousands more arrivals each year for the first three years, and possibly over a million more during a five-year period.
Pauline Hanson responded to the Coalition’s policy by saying both major parties had been “dragged kicking and screaming into the immigration debate by One Nation”.
“They’ve ignored Australians for decades on this issue and they’d prefer it if they didn’t have to talk about it at all. It might sound like Liberal and Labor are saying the right thing, but actions speak louder than words,” she wrote on social media.
“Their record on mass migration is clear. Australians cannot trust Liberal or Labor to follow through on their promises. Only One Nation can be trusted to stand up for Australians on immigration.”
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, who defected from the Nationals after being a two-time deputy prime minister, made similar comments while speaking to Nine’s Today show.
“I congratulate the Coalition for basically coming up with our policy,” Mr Joyce said.
“We are moving both the Labor Party, we’re moving the Coalition.”
Header image: Left, Angus Taylor (Liberal Party). Right, Pauline Hanson (One Nation).
