The Opposition’s immigration spokesman is spearheading a new leftward Coalition policy shift aimed at winning over minority voters, who disproportionately want Australia’s borders kept wide open.
Queensland Liberal National Party Senator Paul Scarr, who said shortly after being appointed by Opposition leader Sussan Ley that he would abandon former leader Peter Dutton’s pledge to cut net overseas migration to 160,000, is behind the new approach.
Mr Scarr responded to claims that Mr Dutton’s pre-election migration policy – which many on the right criticised as too weak – turned off immigrant voters, telling the Courier Mail he wanted to focus on the “positive role” of immigration instead.
“It’s important to make it clear that we’re talking about the failure of the government to plan appropriately, to have the right policy settings, and the failure of the government to manage the settings appropriately,” he said.
“It is not the fault of anyone who comes to the country seeking a better life for them and their family.”
I’m delighted to have received a visit from my good friends, Usha and Umesh Chandra, who are in the process of preparing for the India Day Fair – an iconic event on Brisbane’s calendar of multicultural activities! See you there! pic.twitter.com/p4sPFetdk7
— Senator Paul Scarr (@senatorscarr) July 25, 2025
Mr Scarr also said he believes the Coalition can “absolutely” win back minority voters who some Coalition strategists believe voted Labor because they felt alienated by Mr Dutton’s attempts to alleviate the housing and rental crisis by cutting immigration.
“We can have success if we put the work in and spend the time with those communities,” Mr Scarr said, adding that he was “passionate about empowering” them.
“The more I’ve worked with our different communities across Queensland, the deeper my respect and admiration for the people who’ve come from very difficult circumstances and found their way here and are making an outstanding contribution.”
This month alone Mr Scarr has shared photos of himself at numerous events with immigrant groups, including the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, the St George Chinese Community Memorial Committee, the 9th Annual Pilgrimage and Cultural Gathering of St Mary and St Michael Eritrean Orthodox Churches, a book launch for an African runner, a Ukrainian church, a Congolese youth festival, a migrant youth sports festival, and a Multiculturalism Australia event.
According to his register of interests he has handed out hundreds of donations, scholarships and sponsorships worth more than $300 each to immigrant groups, and on Sunday the left-wing Asylum Seeker Resource Centre revealed he had visited to “hear directly from people seeking asylum on the political change they want to see”.
It was great to recently host the new shadow immigration minister Senator Paul Scarr at the ASRC to hear directly from people seeking asylum on the political change they want to see.
So heartened to also read in the news today that Coalition has vowed to adopt a new approach to… pic.twitter.com/IoWQOt6W1G
— ASRC (@ASRC1) July 28, 2025
In a similar interview in June, Mr Scarr said that one of the Coalition’s goals after the election was to “engage deeply and respectfully with all of our multicultural communities”.
“I have a firm view that many of the fundamental values of the Liberal Party resonate in many of our multicultural communities,” he said.
“But in order to achieve that outcome of connection with our multicultural communities, there needs to be a real focus, and I consider it a fundamental responsibility in terms of these portfolios, of engaging with those communities, spending time with the communities, and hearing their concerns.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese brought in about 1.5 million immigrants during his first three years in office, driving housing, rental and cost-of-living crises and pushing the the foreign-born population to 31.5%, up from 30.7% in 2023 and the highest proportion since Federation.
Between 2019 and 2024 the India-born resident population grew from 665,400 to 916,330, the China-born went from 661,460 to 700,120, those born in The Philippines increased from 294,160 to 394,380, and the Nepal-born population grew to 197,800 from 119,060.
The population born in the above four countries alone is now at 2.2 million, out of a total of 8.6 million born overseas, up from 6.5 million 10 years earlier.
Header image: Paul Scarr panders to immigrant voters in June (Facebook).
