Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I also stand to take note of the answer by Senator Evans today. It is the same issue to which Senator Lundy and Senator Fierravanti-Wells were addressing their remarks: migration numbers and, specifically, the bungling by the federal Labor government on this matter.

A decision made by cabinet last week and confirmed yesterday is that the permanent skilled migration program will be cut from 133,500 for the financial year 2008-09 to 115,000—that is a cut of 18,500, or 14 per cent. The government says that this is due to the changed economic environment, the global financial crisis and growing unemployment. But I want to note that it is still a 12 per cent increase over the 2007-08 numbers which were set in place by the former, Howard government of some 102,500. It is still a considerable increase on the numbers for the previous financial year.

What has the minister been saying about this matter? This matter has been raised on the public record in Senate forums, and specifically in the supplementary budget estimates on 20 and 21 October 2008, when Senator Ellison, Senator Fierravanti-Wells and I asked the minister: ‘What are you doing and what will you do about the migration numbers, and specifically skilled migration numbers, coming to Australia?’ The response was: ‘It will be considered in the budget context and a decision will be made in May next year.’ That was part of his answer. Of course, he gave a very fluid and flowing answer about the economic circumstances of the day, but he did say that that decision would have to wait until May next year. We again asked questions on this matter in February this year—just a month or so ago—in the Senate committee hearings on additional budget estimates. Again, the answer was the same: a decision will be made in the context of the budget in and around May this year. We know that over the weekend the government responded and made that decision public. Why didn’t they act sooner?

We know that the global financial crisis has been around for a long time and that the government’s decision to increase skilled migration numbers by record levels was made about 12 months ago, yet we have had to wait nine months for a decision and a response by the government. Have they ballsed it up? I do not know, but all the hallmarks are there that they have. All the hallmarks of the bungling and the mismanagement of this process by the Labor government are there. In answers at additional estimates, Senator Evans referred to an Access Economics report which is well over 12 months old. Indeed, he relied on that report for the decision to increase the skilled migration numbers more than 12 months ago.

We have had the global financial crisis since then and skyrocketing unemployment. We had one giant cash splash in December and then another giant cash splash just a month or so ago, with the funds being expended not only here but also overseas. When I say ‘overseas’ I mean ‘overseas’. Some 69,000 Australian pensioners overseas received approximately $80 million. That giant cash splash was designed to strengthen the Australian economy; it was designed to strengthen our economy to create jobs in Australia, yet that money in the December cash splash has gone overseas. That is exactly what happened. We know how much money went overseas; it is on the public record. And the government will not answer the question as to how much of the $42 billion giant cash splash recently expended has gone overseas. We do not know. And we do not know exactly to whom and whether it was paid to deceased estates or whether it was paid to the beneficiaries of those deceased estates—whether they be families or pets. Has it been paid to pets? We do not know. The government should answer those questions and come clean.