Barnaby Joyce has mistakenly claimed only \u201ca few\u201d temporary workers from the Pacific Islands contribute to Australia\u2019s net overseas migration (NOM) count, fuelling further confusion about One Nation\u2019s immigration target. <\/p>\n
The One Nation MP was defending a claim made by leader Pauline Hanson that the number of workers arriving in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme would be added \u201con top\u201d of the party\u2019s NOM target of 130,000. <\/p>\n
Senator Hanson has previously said One Nation\u2019s target is \u201cless than half Labor\u2019s current level\u201d.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the NOM in 2024-25 was 306,000, down from 429,000 a year earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s been absolutely … clear in our party room meetings, where she\u2019s … said basically what I\u2019ve said: \u2018Stop bringing up the PALM scheme because it\u2019s not a part of your net overseas migration numbers, except for a few who overstay their visas or stay longer\u2019,\u201d Mr Joyce told News24\u2019s Sunday Agenda. <\/p>\n
\u201cI acknowledge, once they go over 12 months, bang, they\u2019re in the NOM number. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut we\u2019ve said the NOM number will be as high, but no higher than 130,000, and we will be (taking) a stocktake of what where can where they can go, the requirements of what we need and the capacity of this nation to absorb them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The final NOM figure can include temporary workers if they remain in Australia for a cumulative total of 12 months out of any 16-month window. <\/p>\n
PALM workers can arrive on a short-term placement of up to nine months or a long-term placement of up to four years. As of June 2026, about half of the 32,645 PALM workers in the country were on long-term visas, thus including them in the final NOM count. <\/p>\n
The debate surrounding One Nation\u2019s migration target was sparked by the party\u2019s first elected MP, David Farley who described the party\u2019s goal of 130,000 total net overseas migrants as the \u201ctrue form\u201d of the figure.<\/p>\n
He argued this target excluded other forms of migration, including temporary PALM workers, skilled workers, and backpackers, among others, which would add at least 100,000 people to One Nation\u2019s target.<\/p>\n
This would bring One Nation\u2019s estimates close to that of Labor\u2019s, which has set a NOM target of 245,000 for 2026-27 and 225,000 for both 2027-28 and 2028-29. <\/p>\n
One Nation immigration platform \u2018a joke\u2019: Labor <\/p>\n
Later, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy pointed to Mr Joyce\u2019s mistake in his criticism of the party for its inconsistent position on migration.<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf of all PALM workers are on the four-year visa, so they would count for the NOM,\u201d Mr Conroy told News24. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, if they\u2019re arguing that PALM is on top of 130,000, they\u2019re arguing for a much more substantial figure than what they said only this week.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Conroy, when grilled on Labor\u2019s delay in announcing a plan to cut net overseas migration, said Immigration Minister Tony Burke was working to get Labor\u2019s policy \u201cwell and truly right\u201d. <\/p>\n
It comes after Mr Burke cancelled a National Press Club address expected to announce tougher migration rules earlier this month after reported divisions within cabinet over the changes. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat you won\u2019t get (from Labor) is announcements on the fly, which is what you see from the Liberals and One Nation \u2026 I think we\u2019ve now got a fifth One Nation position on immigration, which is just a joke,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had three in 24 hours last Sunday. Now we\u2019ve got another one this Sunday, but they can\u2019t be believed on immigration.\u201d <\/p>\n
This week, Anthony Albanese intervened to confirm planned cuts by Labor to Australia\u2019s annual refugee quota would not proceed, despite reports in the Australian Financial Review that the government was planning to slash intake by a third. <\/p>\n
Despite this, Mr Conroy said there was \u201cabsolutely not\u201d any discord within Labor over its approach to migration. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Barnaby Joyce has mistakenly claimed only \u201ca few\u201d temporary workers from the Pacific Islands contribute to Australia\u2019s 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