One Nation MP admits the party's true migration target 'isn't too different' from Labor's

One Nation's immigration stance is under question after an MP said the party would include an extra 100,000 people annually in its policy — bringing its target total higher than present forecasts under Labor.

Farrer MP David Farley, who clinched Sussan Ley's old seat from the coalition at a by-election, told the ABC Insiders program on Sunday morning that his party had decided to separate a "true NOM", or net overseas migration figure, from certain other categories of migrants.

However, party leader Pauline Hanson was forced to quickly intervene, refuting the claims just hours later on social media. Party policy is to "cut net overseas migration to 130,000".

"One Nation's target is less than half of Labor's current level," she wrote.

This contradicts messaging from Farley, who said One Nation's stated policy of getting net overseas migration down to 130,000 excluded people brought in under a Pacific scheme, aged-care nurses and other in-demand skilled workers.

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Adding those groups would amount to an additional 100,000 arrivals, bringing the total to 230,000 — 5,000 more than the budget forecast of 225,000 in the coming four years.

"What we're doing is we're focusing on the NOM in its true form, and then we've got these programs that have been available now for over a decade that drive our economy," Farley told Insiders.

"The raw number is not too different, but the reality is, where do we need them?

"We don't need them in the great urban metroplex — we need them out to be productive, working in agriculture, engineering, mining."

The comments come as public debate continues around the optimum level of migration to Australia.

Net overseas migration dropped to 306,000 in 2024-25, brought down from a post-pandemic peak of 538,000 under Liberal-National government policy.

Cabinet minister Chris Bowen said net overseas migration could not just be redefined.

"My overwhelming conclusion was he's pretty comfortable with what the government's doing," Bowen told reporters.