Scott Morrison slams Tony Abbott’s plan to cut permanent immigration

FEDERAL treasurer Scott Morrison has slammed Tony Abbott’s call for Australia to drastically cut its immigration levels, saying it would cost the economy billions.

SCOTT Morrison has slapped down Tony Abbott’s call for Australia to drastically cut its immigration levels, saying it would be like “cutting off your nose to spite your face”.

Treasurer Morrison, who was immigration minister during the Abbott Government, said reducing permanent immigration would actually cost the federal budget up to $5 billion over the next four years.

He also rejected Mr Abbott’s suggestion Australia’s housing affordability issues and sluggish wage growth would improve if migration was reduced.

The former prime minister had used a speech to the Sydney Institute and a series of media interviews on Tuesday to call for the permanent immigration level to be cut from 180,000 to 110,000.

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Treasurer Scott Morrison has smacked down Tony Abbott’s proposal to cut the immigration rate. Picture: AAP

The former prime minister said he took issue with the rate of immigration when wages were stagnant, house prices soaring, infrastructure clogging and “ethnic gangs ... are testing the resolve of police”.

“I was the Immigration Minister for Tony Abbott and the permanent immigration intake

we have today is exactly the same as it was when he was Prime Minister,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Melbourne today.

“I don’t recall at any time there was any discussion that that should be lowered at that time and I do recall housing affordability being a significant issue at that time.”

Mr Morrison said the level of permanent migration to Australia had been the same since 2011 and last year was actually about 8000 people less than the cap.

“If you did what Tony Abbott suggests, then you would only reduce the proportion that was skilled migration and you’d have a bigger proportion which was family migration which ultimately gets more dependent on welfare,” Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison and Prime Minister Abbott in Question Time in 2015. Picture: Gary Ramage

“I don’t think there’s a problem with having the debate. I think the debate needs to be informed by the facts,” he said.

“The facts are simple. People who come as skilled migrants to the country add value to the country. That’s what I believe.

“That’s what I think Australia’s economic history teaches us and I think if you are going to manage the program and you’re worried about population pressures, then you need to look at the things that are driving population growth which can be better managed.

“Clearly the permanent intake hasn’t been driving population growth because it’s been the same.”

The stinging rebuke comes just days after Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce’s war of words over the Deputy Prime Minister’s conduct during his affair with a former staffer.

Mr Morrison recent rises in the population growth rate were down to variable immigration, with more students, backpackers and temporary workers coming down under.

Mr Morrison also disagreed with the proposition that immigrants caused crime, saying statistics showed they were less likely to be unemployed and their children did better educationally than the general population.

“The real issue here is that when wages are flat and when people are feeling the pinch, people will line others up for being the reason for this,” he said.

He described reducing skilled migration to “cutting off your nose to spite your face”.

Originally published as Scott Morrison slams Tony Abbott’s plan to cut permanent immigration