Hey Albo, shut the door: Voters turning against high immigration

Support for immigration is collapsing in the face of the housing crisis, with almost half the country now saying they would be more likely to vote for a party committed to reducing the annual migrant intake.

Exclusive: Support for immigration is collapsing in the face of the housing crisis, with almost half the country now saying they would be more likely to vote for a party committed to reducing the annual migrant intake.

According to the RedBridge poll of Australians’ political attitudes, hostility to immigration has surged since December, with more than 70 per cent people now saying it is making it harder for young people to buy homes.

The surveys show that, in the first four months of the year, there were significant falls in support for the belief immigration is having a positive impact on Australia’s economy and that migrants strengthen the country because of their hard work and talents.

There also were falls in the number of people who agree that taking migrants from many different countries makes Australia stronger.

Worryingly, these drops were mirrored by increases in the number of people who think immigrants are a burden on our social welfare system and take away our jobs.

People queue up to inspect a one-bedroom unit in Clovelly for rent.

There was also an increase in the number of people who agree with the statement that Australian cities are already too crowded.

Overall, 45 per cent of voters said they would be more likely or much more likely to vote for a party committed to cutting migration, whereas only 14 per cent said they were less likely and 32 per cent of people said it would make no difference.

Coalition voters (58 per cent) were more likely to be influenced to vote against migrants than Labor voters, but the issue was still seen as influential by almost a third of Labor voters.

A big queue to buy from an apartment project in Waterloo Rd, Macquarie Park. Picture: Colin Kerr

While 54 per cent of voters over the age of 65 said immigration would influence how they voted, it was also a significant vote shifter among those aged 18-34, of whom 35 per cent said they would be more likely to vote for a party vowing to cut the intake.

RedBridge director Kosmos Samaras said that, while people were still broadly supportive of immigration, this was falling quickly.

He blamed the drop on the failure of the Government to address inflation.

“Normally people would be OK with the immigration intake, the view is that in normal circumstances this is good for us,” he said. “The problem is it’s happening in the context of the failure to address inflation.”

Construction workers are seen working on a new housing development at Kellyville, amid public concern there is not enough housing in Sydney to fit the growing population. Picture: AAP Image

He said the drop in support for migration presented an ­opportunity for Peter Dutton and the Coalition.

“If Dutton just points to this as another example of Labor not being across the task of managing the country’s economy then it will work for him but if he goes personally on the character of migrants it will backfire, because Australians generally have a favourable view of migrants,” he said.

His colleague Tony Barry said the Government faced a dilemma over the issue.

“Albanese is caught in a pincer movement between the economic and policy benefits of a big Australia and the political risks of high immigration when there’s a housing and services shortage,” he said.