Parliamentary Updates

9 February 2026

I move the motion relating to migration policy in the terms in which it appears on the Notice Paper. Australia has been a nation shaped by migration since the post-World War Two era, with immigration driving population growth, workforce expansion, cultural diversity and long-term economic resilience. Around 30 per cent of Australia's population is overseas born. One of the highest shares in the developed world and clear evidence that migration is a defining structural feature of the country's economic economy and society. In fact, migration for those who get confused is the movement of people between countries inclusive of people here temporarily on a visa. Migration delivers a measurable net economic benefit, including estimates that every additional 1000 migrants contribute roughly $124 million in annual economic value through labour supply, taxation, entrepreneurship, innovation and consumer demand. Immigration is the movement of persons into a new country with the intent to reside there permanently, or choose to stay after migrating here on temporary visas. One of the best parts of being a Member of Parliament is in fact attending citizenship ceremonies, where we get to welcome people to becoming Australian citizens who have often been here for a long periods of time, they've paid taxes, they've volunteered in our communities, and they are now taking that extra step of responsibility by becoming citizens and adding their voice and their vote to what we become as a nation. It's highly damaging when right wing fringe parties like One Nation and I suspect coming from the opposition, to start having policies that instead of having rational policy looking at problems, seek to blame migration or immigration for long-term structural failures. The latest census data shows that Warringah has a substantial migrant presence. 37.4% of Warringah residents were born overseas, and 56.6% have at least one parent born overseas. Feedback from chambers of commerce and small businesses consistently highlights that accessible and efficient migration pathways are critical for keeping businesses open, sustaining regional communities and supporting local job creation. Australia's reliance on migration is most visible in the skilled visa program, which is designed to fill genuine shortages in healthcare, aged care, construction, engineering, IT, education and agriculture where domestic workforce pipelines cannot meet the demand in the short to medium term. Skilled migrants overwhelmingly complement Australia's workers, rather than replacing them, enabling businesses to expand, maintain their services and generate additional employment across local economies. Migrants are also significant small business founders and operators, strengthening regional economies, expanding markets and contributing directly to employment, growth and community stability. The net overseas migration was 306,000 in 2024-25, down from the high after COVID. The largest group of migrant arrivals was temporary students, some 157,000 people, and the most nominated occupations for employer sponsored permanent skilled visas are in fact nurses, chefs and software programmers. So it's important when we have the damaging rhetoric from too many on the right side of politics that we have the facts firmly in mind of what actually is happening when it comes to migration and immigration. The complex challenges such as housing affordability, housing affordability, infrastructure pressure and urban congestion stem primarily from planning and policy decisions over the long-term and should not be blamed on migration or immigration. Claims that migration is out of control are inconsistent, with clear evidence showing net overseas migration moderating from post-pandemic highs and remaining within expected volumes. Periods of economic uncertainty often see a rise of anti-migrant rhetoric and its populist, it's easy, but it is false. Social research shows such narratives can distort public understanding of our immigration system and weaken our social cohesion. It's particularly dangerous when far right political actors falsely blame migrants for government policy failures and planning shortcomings, and it stigmatises communities and risks repeating exclusionary chapters of Australia's past. A strong democracy requires respectful, evidence-based debates on migration policy, including program size, skills, mix, infrastructure readiness without rhetoric that undermines the dignity and contribution of migrant Australians. Well managed migration will remain essential to economic prosperity, demographic sustainability, an ageing society, thriving small businesses and a cohesive multicultural nation.