Bruce MP and assistant minister Julian Hill has taken aim at critics of Australia’s migration levels.
In a speech to a national migration conference on 10 October, Hill said “contrary to ridiculous claims … Australia does not have or suffer from mass migration”.
“Australia is not Europe. Australia is not the USA. Our migration program is orderly and our borders are tightly controlled.”
Hill, who is assistant minister for citizenship, customs and multicultural affairs, said this year’s permanent migration program was “steady” at 185,000 places – the “same as last year”.
“Many, including states and territories, actually argue this is a conservative level given our ageing population, strong labour market and family reunion pressures.”
Hill said “the extreme right” had latched onto Net Overseas Migration as “big scary numbers to frighten people in a grossly misleading way”.
Since borders reopened after Covid-19, the country’s Net Overseas Migration had rapidly spiked with the return of “partners, students, working holiday makers and skilled workers”, Hill argued.
“The rise in NOM was a bit higher than anticipated not as the Liberals and extremists pretend because of out-of-control visa grants, but because fewer people departed than expected due to Australia’s very strong labour market.
“These temporary visa holders are now departing in larger numbers contributing to a rapid fall in NOM.”
Hill gave “plaudits” to opposition immigration spokesperson Paul Scarr, in contrast to former opposition frontbenchers Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price who Hill labelled as “extremists or populists”.
Recently, Hastie quit as opposition home affairs spokesperson after saying Australians were “starting to feel like strangers in our own home” and blaming migration for the housing crisis.
Hill called on the Liberal Party to outline what cuts it would make to migration and what impact it would have on the economy.
He noted a “global war for top talent” while Australia’s population ages – with less workers for every retiree projected to worsen.
“Regional Australian economies across the nation would literally collapse without the contribution of working holiday makers in agriculture, hospitality and other critical sectors.”
