The Coalition is preparing to design a policy to significantly reduce immigration places, with Liberal MPs calling for cuts to skilled migration and international student numbers. Opposition leader Sussan Ley is working to unite moderates and conservatives on the issue, aiming for a debate before the end of the year.
New South Wales Liberal Jess Collins said skilled migration numbers should be pared back, focusing on a revised skills list. South Australian Senator Leah Blyth, a first-generation Australian, stressed the need for nuanced messaging to avoid appearing anti-immigration, warning that the party must not abandon its centre-right position.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has urged cuts of up to a third, to Howard-era levels of about 100,000 people, arguing migrants' productivity may be below average. Liberal backbencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price called for significant cuts or a temporary pause, prioritising the institution of the family ahead of migration.
Sarah Henderson called for reinstating a Dutton-era policy capping foreign student enrolments at 25 per cent. Shadow housing minister Andrew Bragg said Australia needs more skilled tradespeople, blaming the CFMEU construction union for blocking foreign workers. Commonwealth Bank CEO Matt Comyn suggested restricting migration to 180,000 yearly to aid infrastructure planning.
