Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister for immigration. Many Australians can't find a home to live in. Our roads are gridlocked, and essential services like schools and hospitals are under growing strain. Why is the Albanese Labor government making it worse by granting over 500,000 visas in just the past year, with more than 1.6 million visas projected to be granted over five years?

Andrew Giles (Scullin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question, and I say to her, and to all members, that we are getting on with the job of fixing a system that was fundamentally broken by those opposite. And we see that in all of the issues that the member raised. But what is concerning to me is that the member opposite and many members opposite on the one hand talk about the need for skilled migration in their reasons, and on the other hand they come into this place and tell a different story.

What we should be entitled to expect is a bit of consistency, and that might start not just with the Leader of the Opposition, who should reflect on his deplorable record, but also with the shadow minister, who, when he was in government, said: 'Well, we need to get our international students back. We need to get our working-holiday visa holders back and get these people back as soon as we can.' They should reflect on their record, and they should get behind our work in fixing the system that they broke.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

The member for Barker is on a warning.

The member for Deakin is also on a warning. So that means no more interjections from them, hopefully.