Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

It's a little bit perplexing that we've spent the day hearing about how dreadful the coalition government was in the nine years that we served from 2013 to 2022, but this takes the cake. Now Labor is paying out on the Howard Liberal government. If the Howard Liberal government was so bad with this particular policy, why didn't Labor fix it when it was in power from 2007 to 2013? I could take issue with some of the things that Chile-born Chris Watson and his government did in 1904, but I'm not about to. It's history. Let's look to the future. Let's leave the past where it is and let's build a better Australia—not necessarily a bigger Australia but a better Australia.

There are many questions which do need answering about this particular visa arrangement. Will New Zealand citizens who accept the offer to become Australian citizens be included as part of the permanent immigration number or counted separately? We know that Labor has this policy of a lottery-style system with Pacific immigration, and we haven't had this question answered. Will the New Zealand citizens replace much-needed highly skilled workers, such as teachers, nurses and engineers, if they do fill spaces within the immigration cap? What is the government going to do to address the impact on the housing crisis? We have a housing crisis, make no mistake. What will the impact be on the National Disability Insurance Scheme? The previous speaker mentioned this. Mind you, he wasn't in the government at the time, which left office without putting a cent towards this valuable scheme, the higher education loan program, social security or other government programs for the additional citizens.

How will Labor treat citizens who are convicted of crimes and would previously—quite correctly—have been subjected to deportation? When we were in government we refused or cancelled 10,206 visas under the character provision test of the Migration Act, for good reason: because we didn't want these sorts of people in our country. There were 335 who were outlaw motorcycle gang members—people we do not want in our country. We do not want them subjecting people to their harm, particularly our country's young people. Labor is already tracking to kick out just half the number of non-citizens who fail the character test. Why? It's a good question and it deserves an answer.

If this announcement is about a fair change, as Labor calls it, why will Australians wait five years to become New Zealand citizens but New Zealanders will wait only four years to become Australian citizens? What sort of deal did they do with the New Zealand government over this? The coalition supports a better Australia, as I said, but this situation is giving New Zealanders something that we can't get in return. Will the Labor government give New Zealanders who are not citizens a vote in Australian elections? The Prime Minister said that was being considered. Will they get a vote?

The changes to the New Zealand visa arrangements have a huge cost, and this is revealed in the budget papers. It's all part of Labor's Big Australia policy. Providing permanent citizenship to 400,000 New Zealand citizens will see increased payments for government services and benefits by—wait for it—$1.3 billion. That's $1.3 billion over five years from 2022-23 and increased receipts by $795 million over the same period. This is a cost to Australian taxpayers, who expected better in the budget. The reality fell far short of their expectations. Why did it fall far short? Because this is what you get under Labor.

They want to put more people on welfare. It doesn't matter where they come from, let's just get more people on welfare! Let's get more people who will vote for us, who will never contribute to the Commonwealth and who will never contribute to Australian society! They will kick out far less people than they should. We're all in favour of New Zealanders. We've heard the stories of the Anzac spirit, and no-one understands that like those who've served our nation. Yet, this is a great thing. But I tell you what: there are so many answers still to be given and still to be provided by this policy. We await, with bated breath perhaps, as to whether they will be answered. I doubt it. Don't hold your breath.

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