Pauline Hanson says she will not “hold back” businesses needing skilled labour “to come into the country”, despite unveiling plans to bring about negative migration for three years if One Nation forms government.
The One Nation leader appeared before the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Leaders’ Summit for the first time on Tuesday.
Speaking alongside One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, Senator Hanson said Australians had “never done it as tough as what they are now … apart from the depression”.
Asked only once by ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar about migration, an issue he has been vocal on in recent weeks, Senator Hanson said One Nation’s immigration would not “hold back any business that requires skilled labour to come into the country”.
“We’re not taking them … PALM workers will be coming in, working holiday-makers will be allowed in. That skilled migration program os skills that we need,” she said.
“No more Uber drivers, no more tax accountants and all the rest of that we don’t need.”
The comment about tax accountants prompted a lighthearted rebuke from Mr McKellar, the crowd, and Mr Joyce.
Addressing her MP, Senator Hanson replied: “You can do it on the side”.
For his part, Mr Joyce said he was “not really out to kill the Coalition”.
“We’re out to get rid of the socialist government. I really believe it’s a socialist government,” he said.
Mr Joyce said migration needed to be addressed “in such a way as we don’t collapse the economy”.
One Nation and the Coalition have been accused of being potentially set to damage to the economy – including a recession in the case of the former – because of their migration cuts.
Earlier this month, Mr McKellar said: “Business urges all policymakers to end the bidding war on the Net Overseas Migration number and focus instead on reforming migration settings to lift Australia’s productive capacity, so we can grow faster without seeing the levels of today’s homegrown inflation.”
During her speech, Senator Hanson highlighted immigration, taxation, regulation, and getting rid of the “climate change department” as her election priorities.
Asked about building One Nation’s policy capacity, Senator Hanson said she had been in consultation with the gas industry – “They said, Pauline, we have never had this consultation before ever, ever” – as well as with business.
Senator Hanson also criticised the government for delaying action on the Australian Taxation Office’s credit card ban.
Business credentials
Both Senator Hanson and Mr Joyce sought to spruik their business credentials on Tuesday.
“Many people in this government have never run a business,” she said.
“Now, we have a Treasurer with no private sector experience, and his Labor government believes it knows better than you how to run your business.
“ … this Labor government is now at war with the people who keep this country running.”
Senator Hanson accused a number of Liberal MPs as having become “Labor-lite moderate progressives” who had lost voters’ trust.
For his part, Mr Joyce said even as he came to the event, he was organising his agricultural business.
Noting his work in accounting, Mr Joyce said: “So, I’ve got a rough idea what I’m doing, and I’m happy to put myself up against Jim Chalmers any day of the week.”