Liberal leader Angus Taylor has unveiled plans to significantly reduce immigration and restrict welfare programs to Australian citizens only, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from migrant advocacy groups and the government. In his budget reply speech on Thursday night, Taylor announced proposals to slash the migration intake and limit access to social benefits such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and JobSeeker to citizens, excluding permanent residents who may have lived and paid taxes in Australia for years.
Albanese Accuses Coalition of Dog-Whistling
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the opposition leader's stance, accusing him of copying One Nation and engaging in dog-whistling to marginalize immigrants. “This is the tail wagging the Coalition dog – and dog is an appropriate term, because a lot of the speech was about dog-whistling,” Albanese said. He questioned the distinction between Australians and migrants, noting that many prominent figures in government and business came to Australia as refugees or migrants.
Factcheck Reveals Limited Impact
On ABC radio, Taylor was factchecked by host Melissa Clarke, who pointed out that non-citizens already face lengthy waiting periods for welfare: four years for JobSeeker and ten years for the age pension and disability support pension. Taylor responded that “citizenship has got to mean something” and that migrants should aspire to become citizens. Gaining citizenship requires at least four years of residency, meaning even aspiring citizens could be without support for that period.
Migrant Groups Condemn Proposal
Refugee and migrant advocacy groups have strongly condemned the Coalition's policy. Noura Mansour, national director of Democracy in Colour, described it as “a dangerous escalation of dog-whistle politics that targets communities of colour” and a “race to the bottom with the far right.” The Refugee Council of Australia warned that migrants should not be used as scapegoats for policy failures in housing and cost of living, emphasizing that most migrants aspire to citizenship but face a lengthy process.
Housing Crisis and Migration Link
Taylor also pledged to link Australia's migration intake to the amount of new housing built, addressing what he called “mass migration madness.” This comes after the Coalition's vote crashed in the seat of Farrer, which was won by One Nation last weekend. The Liberal candidate secured only 12% of the primary vote, down from Sussan Ley's 43% a year earlier, as One Nation surges in polls.
Government Response
Treasurer Jim Chalmers called Taylor's budget reply “a ploy to stave off One Nation,” accusing him of whipping up division. Housing Minister Clare O'Neil claimed that the Liberals, Nationals, and One Nation “want to defend the status quo, point the finger at migrants, and say this is everyone else's fault.” One Nation leader Pauline Hanson accused Taylor of “borrowed time with borrowed policies,” claiming he duplicated her policies.
The Australia China Business Council urged respectful discussion, highlighting the contributions of Chinese migrants since the 1850s. Taylor defended his stance, arguing that new migrants should not automatically access welfare benefits, but critics say the proposal undermines social cohesion and unfairly targets contributing residents.
