Opposition leader Angus Taylor defended the Coalition’s proposed migration cuts as an economic reform on Sunday, rejecting that he supports banning migrants based on their country of origin.
What we know:
- “We are reducing the numbers and raising the standards,” Taylor said on ABC’s Insiders program. He proposes a strategy of attracting workers with skills that increase productivity, rather than relying on population growth to drive economic activity (SBS).
- Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke warned that the Coalition’s proposal of removing more than 400,000 migrants on bridging visas from the country would require billions of dollars in infrastructure and workforce investment (ABC).
- Taylor sought to distance himself from One Nation’s proposal of immigration restrictions based on nationality. “I’ve always said we will discriminate not based on the country someone comes from or their race or their religion, but based on the person and whether that person is a suitable person to be a resident or citizen of this country,” he said (SBS).
- But the Coalition leader also said that the 1,700 Gazans in Australia on visas presented high risks to the nation and must be “reassessed entirely with far greater scrutiny” (The Canberra Times).
- Taylor welcomed the prospect of former Liberal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s return to politics, who on Saturday urged the Liberal Party to “reclaim” the centre of politics and is rumoured to be contesting a seat in the next election (ABC).
Read more: Angus Taylor’s redeeming feature (The Saturday Paper)