Australian opposition leader Angus Taylor has faced widespread criticism after delivering a hardline immigration speech in which he proposed making English proficiency mandatory for permanent visa holders and introducing Trump-style social media vetting for applicants. The speech, his first major policy announcement since taking over the Liberal Party leadership, was condemned by Labor, the Greens, and the race discrimination commissioner as a 'desperate dog-whistle' and a modern revival of the discriminatory White Australia policy.
Taylor told the Menzies Research Centre that the existing Australian values test would become binding under a Coalition government, arguing that 'English is necessary to live, work and integrate into Australian society.' He also called for the reassessment of visas issued to more than 2,000 Palestinians following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, and pledged to deport 65,000 non-citizens who have exhausted their legal appeals to stay in the country.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said millions of Australians would question why the Liberals have a problem with their parents 'who don't speak great English but are great Australians.' Greens senator David Shoebridge described the policy as a '2026 version' of the racist White Australia policy abandoned in 1966, while race discrimination commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman warned of real-world consequences from such rhetoric.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson claimed credit for the Coalition's shift, saying the party was trying to win back voters who had moved to her party. The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said the ideas were 'straight out of the Donald Trump playbook.' Since the 2022 census, Australia has been a majority migrant nation, with over 50% of residents born overseas or having at least one immigrant parent.
