Source : Perth Now news
The federal government’s delay of a much-anticipated speech heralding Australia’s immigration crackdown has been met with criticism from conservative counterparts.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was due to speak at the National Press Club on Thursday, where he was expected to announce rules to cut net overseas migration.
The speech, which would “deal with the migration system as a whole”, was postponed as elements were not able to be finalised in time, a government spokesperson confirmed.
“We’re working with the press club to find a new date,” they said.
Mr Burke was widely expected to announce changes that would likely tighten laws on working holidays and family visa applications, deterring short-term migration.
Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said the decision to delay the speech had caused “chaos and confusion” for the Australian public.
“(Labor) is clearly only thinking about acting now because the political pressure has become impossible to ignore,” he told reporters.
“Labor has completely lost control of Australia’s migration program and now it apparently cannot even agree internally on how to fix the dog’s breakfast that it has created.”
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s deputy chief executive Jana Favero said she was concerned the postponement of the speech gave Labor the chance to step back from decisions to limit migration, particularly for refugees.
“Scapegoating migrants won’t build a home, lower a grocery bill or help a family pay the rent,” she said.
“Australia deserves better than politicians looking for someone to blame instead of delivering real solutions.”
Labor kept the permanent migration target steady at 185,000 for the 2025/26 financial year, in line with 2024/25, though the country has consistently blown out its migration targets.
The Department of Home Affairs in late July quietly published a notice on its website noting a directive from Mr Burke to prioritise migrants that were already in the country, over skilled workers coming from abroad.
It is understood that at a cabinet meeting on Monday, ministers raised concerns about how the government would justify the measures amid political criticism from both the left and right.
