Opposition leader claims migrants are draining the nation
Australia’s immigration program should discriminate against immigrants based on their merits, according to Opposition Leader Angus Taylor. He will deliver his first major policy speech, claiming that too many self-serving immigrants are taking advantage of the country and eroding its national culture.
Taylor will also target the approximately 1,300 Gazans who came to Australia following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, warning that they “pose a clear risk to our country” and arguing that “this group needs to be re-evaluated much more carefully”.
In a provocative speech that quotes the Trump administration’s heavy-handed approach to border protection and deportation and aims to appeal to voters who have turned away from the Pauline Hanson Coalition, Taylor will argue at the Menzies Research Center on Tuesday morning that “declining immigration standards mean our doors are open to too many commercial immigrants.”
“Australia has a non-discriminatory immigration program. We do not discriminate based on nationality, race, gender or belief. But for an immigration program to work in the national interest it must discriminate based on values,” he will say, according to excerpts of his speech.
“Our nation has paid the price for believing that anyone, anywhere, would embrace our way of life. Not everyone who wants to immigrate to Australia has noble intentions. Not everyone who wants to immigrate to Australia will be a net benefit to Australia, in fact many will be a net drain.”
The coalition has struggled with its message on immigration since being defeated by Labor in most urban voters in last year’s election and then usurped by One Nation in major national polls. Opinion polling reveals widespread concerns about rising immigration levels after the pandemic. Migration numbers have since stabilized but remain above the long-term average.
Taylor took over the leadership this year promising to reduce immigration and raise standards, unlike former leader Sussan Ley, who at times took a conciliatory tone on immigration to support multicultural communities.
But Ley has toughened his message throughout his term as he remains under siege from right-wing MPs who want the Coalition to take a tougher line. Taylor’s speech contains some elements of the plan prepared under Ley’s leadership and dramatically escalates the opposition’s rhetoric.
His policy includes making compliance with Australian values a mandatory visa condition, mandatory social media screening, reintroducing temporary protection visas abolished by Labor in 2023, speeding up the rejection of false asylum claims and increasing deportations.
The speech does not outline the ideal immigration intake but instead lays out the battle lines on culture and values that will separate the Coalition from Labor, which emphasizes the value of immigration to Australia and moves it closer to the One Nation position.
“Australians are tired of politically correct preaching on immigration,” Taylor will say.
“Looking at the UK and parts of Europe, Australians see the erosion of national culture and the Balkanisation of communities resulting from values-less migration policies. In fact, Australians worry we are on the same path to disaster.
“While rejecting hatred and violence, our doors have also been opened to people who reject our fundamental values, to those who do not believe in equality between men and women, to those who do not believe in the rule of law and want to establish parallel legal systems, and to people who do not believe in freedom of expression, association and religion.
“For too long we have ignored the reality of migration and integration: those who migrate from liberal democracies are more likely to remain committed to Australian values than those who migrate from places ruled by fundamentalists, extremists and dictators.”
Coalition platform reminds of Ley, Hanson and Trump
The coalition’s policy would make the Australian Charter of Values, which all new immigrants are currently required to sign, a condition of their visas. This means their visas may be canceled if they do not comply with its content, which includes elements such as promoting religious freedom, ensuring justice and English as a national language.
This was a key element of former opposition leader Sussan Ley’s controversial policy, this imprint has previously revealed; but immigration experts have already raised concerns about the legal difficulty of determining when values have been violated.
The idea of a “safe country list” for asylum claims would allow the government of the day to speed up assessments and deny requests more quickly. This is designed to tackle a backlog of approximately 65,000 people in Australia after all avenues for protection visas have been exhausted; However, the Coalition did not specify which countries would be included in this list.
Applicants from China and India typically make up the largest number of monthly asylum applicants. While the majority are rejected, dozens of their claims are approved every year. An opposition source explained that the safe country list would not be a blanket ban on any country and that exceptions may be possible.
Law enforcement will receive extra funding to deport non-citizen illegals; Taylor also announced the establishment of an “enhanced screening coordination centre” within the Home Office, involving ASIO, AFP and the Australian Border Force.
By scanning social media accounts and stepping up vetting of new immigrants, “the Center will prevent radicals, extremists and terrorists from entering our country,” he will say.
James Massola is the chief political commentator. He was previously national affairs editor and Southeast Asia correspondent. He won the Quill and Kennedy awards and was a Walkley finalist. Connect securely to Signal @jamesmassola.01Connect with: X or email.
Natassia Chrysanthos is a Federal Political Correspondent. He has previously reported on immigration, health, social issues and the NDIS from Parliament House in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
