Anthony Albanese defends skilled migration in Dubbo as Labor cabinet remains split over immigration cuts

Anthony Albanese has launched a passionate defence of skilled migration as his cabinet continues to squabble over the details of Labor’s long-awaited policy on reducing the overall number of overseas arrivals.

Speaking at the Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit in Dubbo, the Prime Minister was asked about reports his government was slashing the annual refugee quota next financial year from 20,000 to 13,750 in response to One Nation’s rise.

“No, we’re responding to the fact that post-COVID, when our borders were shut, there was always going to be a spike, and there was a spike in net overseas migration. We’ve reduced that by 45 per cent,” Mr Albanese responded.

“There’s two ways you can control that overseas migration. One is people coming here see you control those numbers. Secondly, is though people who have lost their entitlement to be here, getting them to leave, that can be more difficult”.

“Our priority and what we’re really looking at as well is people who game the system. So people who can come in and they can put in an appeal and continue to put in another appeal and go through”.

Earlier this month, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was forced to postpone an announcement on the Albanese government’s migration policy following a reported cabinet split.

Labor sources say there is still strong debate among senior ministers over the details of the overhaul, including concerns that reducing arrivals could hurt the government in certain electorates and slow economic growth.

Budget projections unveiled in May confirm the government is aiming to reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 in 2027-28, although the details of how this will be achieved are not yet finalised.

The Prime Minister also talked up the importance of continuing skilled migration to Australia when asked about the allocation of federal funding for health services in the bush.

“It’s one of the reasons why skilled migration does matter. You take away the Irish nurses and Nepalese workers in ancillary roles working in hospitals, and we’ll have a real issue - particularly with training of doctors, nurses, etc.”

Challenged again over whether his government was abandoning his previous support for a higher refugee intake because of Pauline Hanson’s popularity, Mr Albanese insisted Labor was simply “responding to the national need”.

“Yeah, there is a current spike in the support for One Nation, quite clearly, but we’ve responded. We started lowering the numbers well before that occurred because we recognise that we want to get that right to assist the Australian economy.”