Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the fact that the minister is here, because I have a number of questions for the minister in this consideration in detail of the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2023-2024. The first goes to the fact that the Labor Party and the Albanese government are overseeing a record net overseas migration of 1.5 million people. They're adding those 1.5 million to the population this year and over the next four years. My first question to the minister is: given that there will be net overseas migration of 1.5 million, why hasn't he been able to take action on the case of the Mills family, who have lived in Australia for 13 years, paid taxes and contributed to the community? Their daughter, Daisy, is an Australian citizen. Their grandfather is an Australian citizen. Why can't we get a decision which would mean that they know they have the security they've been seeking to stay here in Australia? I ask the minister as a matter of urgency to look at this case which has been raised with him.

My second question to the minister is: Australia faces a housing shortage of over 250,000 homes over the next five years. At the same time, you're allowing 1.5 million people into Australia. Where are these people going to live? What is this going to do to rents? In particular, I ask the minister: has the Department of Home Affairs raised any concerns about the impact that this record level of migration is having on the Australian housing and rental crisis? That is the second question that I would like the minister to answer.

Then I would like him to answer, in truth and transparency: what is the cost of the government's New Zealand decision, providing permanent citizenship to 400,000 New Zealand citizens? It will see an increase in payments for government services and benefits of $1.3 billion over five years, increasing receipts by $795 million over five years. Where is the transparency around the cost of this decision, Minister?

There is then the cost of TPVs and SHEVs. In the budget the cost of making 18,000 temporary protection visa holders permanent residents is estimated to increase payments for government services and benefits by $732.5 million over five years. What additional services will TPV holders be able to access that will cost $732.5 million? And the reason we want some transparency about this is that if you add the New Zealand decision and the decision around TPVs and SHEVs, they will cost, together, $1.2 billion. Is that correct? And will you provide a breakdown of those costs?

My next question goes to the impact of the TSMIT on regional employers. I've been approached by a regional business in Victoria, with 15 overseas workers. With the TSMIT changes the wages bill for the business will increase by 30 per cent. Has the department done any modelling on the impact that these TSMIT changes will have, particularly on businesses within the aged care sector, and other care providers, in rural and regional Australia?

My last question is: is the minister going to replicate the aged-care industry labour agreement across the board, into other sectors? This agreement, of which we have never seen the like in this nation before, actually tells employers what they have to say when they meet with unions and employees and sets new precedents in destroying productivity in this nation. Will this be copied into other sectors, and will it be replicated in the same fashion in these sectors? They're the questions that I would like the minister to answer.

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