Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Minister Evans. The 2008 budget announced an extra 31,000 skilled migrants as part of the overall record high of 133,500 places in the 2008-09 migration program. Today the government announced a 14 per cent cut, of 18,500 places. That still leaves, Minister, a net increase of 12,500 skilled migration places in 2008-09, an overall increase of 7,000 skilled places from 2007-08. Don’t these figures just make a mockery of today’s announcement?