Australia’s immigration minister has been ridiculed for denying record-high migration levels caused the country’s housing crisis, and saying it “needs to be part of the solution”.
Labor MP Tony Burke also called immigration “a strength” while unveiling new migration rules during an address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Thursday, as the government attempts to combat the rise of One Nation, which has been fuelled by public anger over mass immigration.
The changes include the closure of a partner visa loophole, restrictions on students bringing in family members, a crackdown on “visa-hopping”, a ballot system for backpackers and construction workers, and stronger efforts to deport illegal immigrants.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says “the housing shortage we have is not caused by immigration”, but because more people are choosing to live with fewer people per household.
Instead, he says immigration needs to be part of the solution to the housing crisis. pic.twitter.com/84FkPF5hpo
— Anthony Khallouf (@ausvstheagenda) September 17, 2026
“Housing, and the housing shortage we have, is not caused by immigration, but immigration needs to be part of the solution for the housing crisis,” Mr Burke said.
The pro-multiculturalism minister, who owns six investment properties and represents an immigrant-dominated electorate in western Sydney, said the housing crisis was instead caused by a fall in the average number of people per household.
“Anyone who looks at the migration program and wants to somehow say it was their fault – no, Australians have made a decision about how many people they want per household,” he said.
More than 2.5 million immigrants have arrived in Australia since Labor came to power in May 2022, for net overseas migration of about 1.6 million, increasing demand for housing and rental accommodation, and putting pressure on infrastructure and services.
Mr Burke’s comments were mocked by everyday Australians on social media, and many accused him of “gaslighting” or said it was proof his changes were not going reduce mass immigration.
“Just flagrantly one of the most blatant and offensive lies I’ve ever seen in Australian politics in the first 30 seconds of this video. To blame Australians for the housing crisis, despite Labor bringing in literally millions of new migrants, is genuinely psychopathic,” wrote News24 columnist Jordan Knight on X.
“Are demographics a major driver of housing demand? Absolutely. But the number of adults per household is higher today than in 2005. So more Australians are forced to cohabitate whether they want to or not. What changed from 2005? The level of migration relative home builds,” wrote Macrobusiness economist Tarric Brooker.
“So importing millions of Indians with no houses to live in is not the cause, it’s those selfish people who don’t use all their rooms, the same rooms they asked about in the Census,” another Aussie wrote.
Just flagrantly one of the most blatant and offensive lies I’ve ever seen in Australian politics in the first 30 seconds of this video. To blame Australians for the housing crisis, despite Labor bringing in literally millions of new migrants, is genuinely psychopathic. https://t.co/hYJg3pWQ46
— Jordan H Knight (@jordanhknight_) September 17, 2026
Are demographics a major driver of housing demand? Absolutely.
But the number of adults per household is higher today than in 2005.
So more Australians are forced to cohabitate whether they want to or not.
What changed from 2005? The level of migration relative home builds. https://t.co/EHnhc3ufYn
— Tarric Brooker aka Avid Commentator 🇦🇺 (@AvidCommentator) September 17, 2026
This is so tiring.
He’s found a statistic to blame for his government’s failures – which is that the reason for the housing shortage is there are now fewer people per household, framing it as a lifestyle choice.
What he conveniently doesn’t mention is that the average dwelling… https://t.co/HDLeU72oNT
— Marko Matvikov (@MarkoMatvikov) September 17, 2026
Commentator Marko Matvikov called it “masterful gaslighting”.
“This is so tiring. He’s found a statistic to blame for his government’s failures – which is that the reason for the housing shortage is there are now fewer people per household, framing it as a lifestyle choice,” he wrote.
“What he conveniently doesn’t mention is that the average dwelling is also shrinking – as affordability worsens, demand increases for smaller houses, which is what then gets built to meet that demand. This can create the perception that people want smaller houses – cause vs effect.
“But this isn’t a lifestyle choice – his argument would only make sense if affordability was improving and dwellings were getting bigger, neither of which are true. See what he’s doing? Using the fact that you can’t afford a big house – which forces you into a smaller house – as an excuse for why there’s a housing shortage.”
“Buckle up, another 1 million plus Indians are on the way,” said another Aussie.
New migration data released on Thursday morning showed that net overseas migration for the March 2026 quarter was 101,000 people, an increase of 44,900 over the previous quarter, and three times the natural increase. But over the year to March 31 net overseas migration was down 5.6% to 292,100.
Mr Burke has not made any changes to his controversial Ministerial Direction 110, which has allowed hundreds of serious criminals to avoid deportation.
Header image: Left, Tony Burke during his speech (National Press Club). Right, Mr Burke with volunteers during the 2025 election campaign (Facebook).
