'Absurd': Yoga teachers become an unlikely flashpoint in Australia's migration debate

Amid an ongoing political battle over which party's at fault for a lack of housing and migration numbers, an unlikely target has emerged: yoga teachers.

Labor has been accused by the Opposition of prioritising bringing in instructors of the flexible exercise to Australia, over construction workers sorely needed to address a critical housing shortage.

The Coalition since 2024 has levelled claims against Labor of putting instructors for martial arts and yoga ahead of tradies like bricklayers, painters, roof tilers and stonemasons in the visa queue.

The origins of the political line of attack appeared to come from a Nine Newspaper report which said in 2024 that a federal agency, Jobs and Skills Australia, listed yoga teachers as a skill in demand. Former coalition MP Michael Sukkar highlighted the report on social media, saying: "Under Labor they'll be more Yoga teachers and less tradies!".

On Thursday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke sought to put the claims to bed, once and for all.

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"It is absurd," he told the National Press Club, saying it was among the "silliest of all" arguments.

Burke outlined that rather than deprioritising construction workers, the government had tripled the number it was bringing in, from 4,500 to 15,000.

"In the life of this government, the number of yoga teachers we have brought in is zero," he said.

According to a fact check from Australian Associated Press (AAP) newswire, the opposition housing spokesman Andrew Bragg and colleagues made the claim a number of times in the past year, saying the government was bringing in more yoga teachers than construction workers.

AAP checked the claim against figures from the Department of Home Affairs, finding that only four yoga instructors have arrived since July 1, 2022, compared to thousands of construction workers that have come to Australia on skilled visas.

"While this figure may include yoga teachers, it could also cover coaches of other sports such as basketball or cricket," it said in an August finding.

Yoga teachers came under the temporary skilled visa program in 2022 after the Morrison government signed a trade agreement with India. The places are reserved for Indian nationals under that deal.

"It's a tiny argument, but it is so constantly out there and so demonstrably wrong, it gives an indication as to how a debate like this can just run out of control," Burke said.