Bill Shorten proposes new plan to tackle immigration policy with Scott Morrison
SCOTT Morrison has hit back at Labor after Bill Shorten penned a letter to the Prime Minister, asking for him to consider a new move to tackle Australia’s immigration policy.
Leaders
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leaders. Followed categories will be added to My News.
SCOTT Morrison has hit back at Labor after Bill Shorten penned a letter to the Prime Minister, asking for him to consider a new move to tackle Australia’s immigration policy.
After he spoke at a Liberal State Conference in Tasmania today, Mr Morrison told reporters that while Mr Shorten can write to him, he thought that Labor did not have “good form”when it came to immigration matters.
In his letter seen by The Weekend Australian, Mr Shorten has suggested both sides of government could work together and create an independent and expert population taskforce.
Under Mr Shorten’s plan, the taskforce could be established under Treasury with six members agreed upon by the government and opposition.
it would recommend annual immigration rates, infrastructure needs and delivery of health and education services.
It would also have a say on temporary work visas.
In his letter to Mr Morrison, Mr Shorten wrote: “Population policy runs the risk of being politicised by those seeking to divide Australia, and (who) see political opportunity in polarising opinion in the community. The best way to ensure enduring policy settings is for a bipartisan approach — one that sets overarching principles to guide policy development, regardless of the party in government.
“This would give the community and business comfort that the national interest is driving government policy.
“I am therefore asking you to join Labor in the establishment of an independent and expert population taskforce that would provide recommendations that both parties could accept and use to underpin population policy development.”
Mr Shorten’s letter comes after Australia’s population rose above 25 million in July this year, and it appears that the Opposition supports the idea of shifting Australia’s population away from the popular capital cities of Sydney and Melbourne.
Immigration policy has been a bone of contention within the Coalition, with former prime minister Tony Abbott pushing Mr Turnbull and now Mr Morrison for more cuts.
Labor’s caucus also continues to debate migration policy, as One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has been pushing for immigration cuts for a while.
Mr Morrison has previously rejected Mr Abbott’s calls for further cuts.
While speaking today, Mr Morrison told the party faithful that the government was working on its migration plans which will be announced in the near future.
But he wants to create a population policy that helps smaller states grow.
“There are issues, as Josh and I and the rest of our team are working through to ensure that our migration programs work to support those states which are seeking to grow, as well as to manage the impacts of growth in those states like in New South Wales and Victoria and Sydney and Melbourne in particular where we need to manage the impacts of what has been particularly strong population growth,” he said.
“You know, average population growth is about a useful statistic as average rainfall. “Population can be growing strongly in a place like Melbourne, and it has been, creating real pressure. That’s why we’ve got Alan Tudge, Melbourne eyes on a Melbourne problem, there, looking at infrastructure needs particularly in that city. But here in the Northern Territory, up in North Queensland where I was recently, over in Adelaide, where we’ve got another great Liberal Premier, Steve Marshall, also a very similar vision to what Will has been able to achieve here, wanting to see the State grow. Our migration plans are going to back those states in, and we will have a lot more to say about that in the weeks and months ahead.”
Read more at The Weekend Australian.