Labor warns of ‘gaping holes’ in Coalition migration plan
Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor will launch an attack on ‘gaping holes’ in Peter Dutton’s migration plan, amid rising speculation of an early election.
Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor will launch an attack on “gaping holes” in Peter Dutton’s migration plan, as the Albanese government opens new political fights amid rising speculation of an early election.
Speaking at the Sydney Institute on Tuesday night, Mr O’Connor will warn the Opposition Leader’s plan to “significantly” cut immigration failed to explain how the Coalition would build the workforce needed to address the housing crisis.
Mr O’Connor will also reveal new Department of Home Affairs figures claiming that visas granted to overseas tradies in the construction sector have doubled under Labor.
With the government under pressure to deliver on its pledge to build 1.2 million new homes by 2029, Mr O’Connor will take aim at Mr Dutton’s policy to cut immigration levels and argue it would slash the necessary intake of skilled foreign workers.
He will also criticise Mr Dutton for not providing more details about how a drastic reduction in migration levels would address skills shortages.
“I need to point to the gaping holes in Peter Dutton’s proposition to help industry through the persistently tight labour market. In his budget reply, the central pillar was to cut migration – and to cut it significantly,” Mr O’Connor will say.
“He provided no detail about how he plans to do that, or which areas of migration he plans to target. International students? Nurses? Construction workers? He provided vague window dressing about prioritising skilled tradies from overseas to help battle the housing crisis.”
Citing Home Affairs department figures, Mr O’Connor will say the Albanese government had lifted the intake of skilled migrants in the construction sector.
“In 2018-19, when Peter Dutton was minister for home affairs, he granted 6995 visas to skilled migrants in the housing and construction sector. In 2019-20, it was worse, only granting 4893,” he will say.
“There were media reports last week claiming that we’re not prioritising skilled tradies – but the figures just don’t back that up. In 2022-23, we granted more than 10,500 visas to skilled workers in housing and contraction.
“And we’re on track to grant around the same amount this financial year. They talk about it. We get on with it.”
In his budget reply speech last month, Mr Dutton committed the Coalition to reducing the permanent migration program by 25 per cent from 185,000 to 140,000 for two years. The program would increase to 150,000 the following year and 160,000 in the fourth year.
He said the Coalition would “ensure there are enough skilled and temporary skilled visas for those with building and construction skills to support our local tradies to build the homes we need”.
The Coalition’s pledge to cut migration and reduce the number of international students was framed around freeing-up more than 100,000 additional homes for Australians over five years.
Ahead of the May budget, Mr O’Connor announced a $1.8m package to streamline skills assessments for 1900 foreign tradies from countries including Britain and Canada, which have comparable qualifications to Australian standards. Processing will also be prioritised for 2600 Trades Recognition Australia skills assessments in targeted occupations.
The focus on skilled migration comes amid revelations yoga instructors and dog handlers had beaten out key trades including plumbers, plasterers and bricklayers for inclusion on a draft list of occupations for a new core skills visa.
The Coalition has seized on the Jobs and Skills Australia consultation list, with opposition skills spokeswoman Sussan Ley remarking that Labor’s “failures do not end”.
The renewed focus on yoga instructors in the skilled migration debate comes two years after the Morrison government announced plans to include Indian yoga teachers and chefs on the temporary skilled visa under the free trade agreement with Delhi.
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