Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

I have got to make a comment about this. Senator Sterle said, 'The false promises that are given at election time to win your seat or possibly to win government,' and I'll go back to Labor's promise that people would save $275 on electricity. I'll leave it at that.

I rise to speak on this matter of public importance. However, I won't confine myself to talking about congestion-busting infrastructure. Labor's record on immigration policy does much more than place pressure on our infrastructure. It puts pressure on our public health system, with hospital emergency rooms overflowing every day. It puts downward pressure on wage growth, which is great for big business but not for the Australian people. It is completely incompatible with other government policies, particularly Labor's climate change scam. It helps drive the cost-of-living crisis, forcing Australians into poverty, and it is the primary driver of the national housing and rental crisis, which is driving more Australian families into homelessness. Research shows that for every two new migrants another dwelling needs to be built to accommodate them. However, we are starting from way behind. There is an estimated shortfall of at least 650,000 homes in Australia already.

I am sick and tired of hearing Labor blame the previous government for high immigration, lack of housing and our overwhelmed public health system. It's Labor's policy of record immigration since they took government 18 months ago that is driving these crises, and it's a policy not supported by the majority of the Australian people. Poll after poll shows strong support for reduced immigration. Economic experts, even in the Australian Financial Review, are also advocating for a reduction in the numbers. Labor is aiming to bring another 1.5 million people—more than the entire population of Adelaide—to Australia in the next five years. We cannot accommodate these numbers because we can't even accommodate the people who already live here. There is no issue in Australia more urgent than reducing immigration, but Labor have turned a deaf ear. There is no issue on which Labor are more completely out of touch with community sentiment and economic reality than this.

Do you know what? A good DJ knows how to read the room and which music to play to keep the crowd dancing. If they get it wrong, the crowd leaves the dance floor. As this week's Newspoll has shown, the crowd is leaving DJ Albanese's dance floor as the multiple crises driven by record immigration bite harder at Australian families. A good leader would read the electorate and remember these are the people he serves.

The problem with the Labor Party is that, every time anything comes up in this chamber, all they do is point the finger and blame the previous government. You've been in for a year and a half, but what have you actually done? Your policies aren't working. You had a Voice referendum that failed. Your housing policy will fail. With high immigration, you're destroying the Australian people.