Pauline Hanson has a big plan for migration reform in Australia but it might make it harder to get a manicure at the shopping mall.
Calling on Australia to cancel the pipeline of “dog walkers, nail technicians and Uber drivers”, the One Nation leader sounded the alarm on the nation’s skilled migration scheme.
Speaking on News24, Senator Hanson said One Nation was clear on the need to cut migration back to 130,000 people a year.
“It’s been an absolute scam, we’ve allowed these people in,” she said.
“Why bring in so many people that don’t fit the needs that we want in Australia? We don’t need any more Uber drivers, nail technicians, dog walkers. These people gone. Stop all that.”
Net overseas migration (NOM) exploded in recent years after international borders reopened following Covid.
NOM was 301,000 last year, the lowest level since its peak of 556,000 in September 2022. That figure captured the tail end of the Morrison Government and the first year of the Albanese Government.
In May, the Albanese Government announced that the 2026-27 permanent Migration Program (Migration Program) will be set at 185,000 places, with an approximate 70:30 split between the Skilled and Family Programs.
Net migration was forecast to grow by 990,000 people over the four financial years to July 2029.
Ms Hanson suggested she was living rent free in Tony Burke’s head, after the Home Affairs Minister flagged an overhaul before postponing a public announcement this week.
“I think I am, they’re scared to do anything because of the support One Nation is getting,” Ms Hanson told News24 host Laura Jayes.
“And I think we’re having the same impact on the Coalition as well.
“Because they’re both really concerned about the support we’re getting, based on really the one issue is mass migration that’s happening in Australia.
“So Tony Burke is saying, ‘Hey I really need to pull back on my speech that I was going to give to the press club.’”
Secret migration crackdown
News.com.au understands Mr Burke secured cabinet support for the reforms on Monday before cancelling a speech at the National Press Club on Thursday to iron out details.
Amid fears that the budget target of 245,000 people arriving in the next financial year isn’t on track, federal cabinet discussed new measures to rein in migration at this week’s cabinet meeting.
The changes do not involve a hard cut to the headline forecast of migrants. Instead, it is aimed more at ensuring the existing prediction can actually be met.
The big challenge the government faces is that the Albanese Government has “overshot on every single budget prediction to bring it in”, according to government sources.
Two cabinet sources with knowledge of the matter said that the changes were aimed at ensuring current projections were met and to stop people “gaming the system”.
It is understood the changes will include new measures to stop people using the courts to delay leaving the country for years, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
“The speech will deal with the migration system as a whole,” a spokesman for Mr Burke said.
“Yesterday it became clear that some elements of the speech would not be finalised by Thursday. We’re working with the press club to find a new date.”
Government sources again stressed that they did not plan an additional cut on top of what was projected, but that it was instead aimed at landing the plane on existing projections.
Visa processing tweaked
In a first step to deliver an improvement in migration targets, Mr Burke has quietly changed the skilled visa processing priorities in recent weeks to prioritise temporary applicants.
In an attempt to reduce NOM, the ministerial direction outlined the skilled visa processing priorities.
The planned fix prioritises temporary visa holders already counted in Australia’s population for permanent status and reducing new arrivals from overseas to make the numbers look better.
Mr Burke issued the directive to his department on July 24, but never made a public announcement beyond a brief mention on the department’s website.
One Nation’s 130,000 target
The One Nation leader has proposed massive cuts to migration, taking the headline rate down to 130,000 migrants.
Senator Hanson said she had been “very consistent for the past 30 years” on immigration.
“We have too many people coming to the country,’’ she said.
“I’m selecting a figure around about 130,000 people. You’ve still got to allow those into the country because a lot of businesses and doctors and nurses that we need, you fill those positions by all means.
“But cutting back immigration will address the housing issue that we have.”
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