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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration, Minister Watt. Minister, given that the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows a record-breaking 335,184 net arrivals in the first seven months of 2024, surpassing even last year's record by 15,361, how does the government justify continuing its aggressive immigration policy? Can you explain why this government remains blind to severe harm this massive immigration increase is causing the Australian people?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Hanson. I think any reasonable observer would see the work that has been done by a series of Labor ministers to deal with the higher numbers of migration that Australia has seen since we emerged from COVID. We all know that immigration essentially disappeared through the COVID pandemic, and we also know there was a massive rebound in migration numbers post COVID, as we saw students return to Australia and as we saw in some cases Australians return to Australia, who had been unable to return. There were workers as well. And we made very clear some time ago that we recognised we needed to take action on our migration numbers. That's why, as I say, the Albanese government has taken action in this regard. In particular, we've taken a number of measures to reduce the number of international students coming to Australia. I'm aware that not every part of the community supports that action. In particular, some universities have got concerns, some VET colleges have got concerns and some political parties have got concerns about that. But our view was that it was necessary to reach greater balance in terms of our migration numbers, and that was one of the reasons we undertook those steps. We've also taken steps such as ending the pandemic event visa, ending unlimited work hours for international students and ending work exemptions for working holiday visa holders. These were all steps that had been taken under the former coalition government that did see a massive increase in the migration numbers that we were seeing in Australia once we emerged from the pandemic. We launched a crackdown on rorts in international education, cracking down on shonky providers and closing loopholes that were being used to bring non-genuine students into the country. Of course, we've implemented a much broader reform package to restore integrity to the system.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, come to order! Senator Hanson, first supplementary?

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

I don't think I've got an answer to that one. The Albanese government's first federal budget in October of 2022 projected net overseas migration of 470,000 over its first two years. Instead, Australia has absorbed nearly one million migrants on your watch, doubling the government's own projections. How does the minister explain this consistent failure to adhere to their own misleading immigration targets?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Hanson. As I say, we recognise that, post the pandemic, the migration number that Australia was receiving was not sustainable and needed to be dealt with. As I say, much of this was the result of policy failures under the coalition government, in particular by Mr Dutton, going back to his time as the home affairs minister. In fact, Mr Dutton, as the home affairs minister, set the all-time record for visas granted, with 9.6 million granted in 2017-18 and more than nine million for three years, running from 2016-17.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Hanson?

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

This is on relevance to the question. It's got nothing to do with the previous government. I'm asking questions about their numbers that they brought into the country. They have increased under their watch.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was no need for the statement. You've made the point of order. The minister is being relevant to your question, and I will continue to listen carefully.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I say, this government has taken a series of steps to ensure that our migration numbers going forward are more sustainable than they have been. I've already said we ended the pandemic event visa and we increased the temporary skilled migration income threshold. Very importantly, we restored the immigration compliance function in the Department of Home Affairs, a section that Mr Dutton, as home affairs minister, cut by nearly 50 per cent.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, second supplementary?

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

After 2½ years, Minister, you've increased the numbers. This year they are the highest on record. Given the failures of your government to forecast and control immigration numbers, resulting in a million net overseas migrates flooding into the country on your watch, the highest level in history, will you finally admit your reckless immigration policy is a device to cover up Australia's household recession?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can only repeat the point that this government has taken a series of steps to ensure that our migration numbers are more sustainable than they were emerging from COVID. We fixed a range of policy failures that were left behind by the coalition government and by Mr Dutton, and they are having some effect. For example, government actions to date have led to substantial declines in migration levels, with student visa grants down by 33.6 per cent this year against the same period last year. That's a reduction from 428,824 student visa grants in 2022-23, the first year we were elected, to 284,859 grants in 2023-24—

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's all the small universities, the regional universities. The visas for the Group of Eight have gone through the roof.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, come to order.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know why Senator Henderson is complaining about this.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will continue to take steps. They are having an effect, but the reality—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Henderson, I have called you twice. You are being disrespectful towards me. I'm requesting that you listen in silence. You're not in a debate with me, Senator Henderson. Minister Watt, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are taking steps to make our migration numbers more sustainable, and we'll keep doing so.