Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is poised to unveil a significant cut in Australia's annual migration intake as he tries to outflank Labor in the politically sensitive territory of boats and population.
Campaigning in Perth yesterday, Mr Abbott was playing up border protection in a state that is strong for the Liberal Party.
Standing beside West Australian Premier Colin Barnett, Mr Abbott announced a $93 million policy to widen cargo screening at shipping ports and airports.
The Liberals will announce their new policy in the next few days and it will include a cut in migration levels. Liberals immigration spokesman Scott Morrison has signalled the looming cut could be in the order of 100,000 a year.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been trying to frame Labor's population debate without sparking a discussion about immigration levels, but that attempt has faced strong criticism in recent days.
Complicating the issue, business does not want either party to play populist politics by fiddling with the migration program that helps ensure a sufficient supply of workers to meet demand.
The Coalition has been citing a current annual immigration figure of about 300,000 but that number is inflated by foreign students; the current net number is lower.
Labor has criticised the opposition's use of the higher figure. The Liberal leader said yesterday the boom immigration period under the Howard government peaked at about 200,000.
Labor is under political pressure due to a steady increase in the number of boat arrivals over the past 12 months. Two have arrived during the campaign.
Polling shows the community has now linked population pressures with boats and immigration more generally.
Mr Abbott faced a number of questions at his Perth press conference about his intentions. He replied: ''We will have an announcement in the next few days and you will know exactly where we stand. What you won't get from us is the kind of fakery and fudging that you've had from the Prime Minister.
'She says she's conscious of population pressures but she won't do anything actually to reduce them,' Mr Abbott said.
He accused Ms Gillard of continuing Kevin Rudd's 'big Australia immigration program'' - and claimed migrant entries had risen during the term of the government despite the economy slowing.
'I think it's very important to ensure we don't think immigration is necessarily a solution to all our labour market problems,' he said.
Responding to the new investment in border security, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said Labor had already invested heavily in the area.
'The Gillard Labor government has invested more than any previous government in strengthening Australia's border security,'' Mr O'Connor said.
'Over the past two budgets, federal Labor has committed more than $1.8 billion to strengthen border and aviation security.'
Source: SHM
Saturday, November 7, 2009
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