Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is one of the most successful multicultural nations in the world, and that success rests on a simple foundation: a strong, fair and orderly immigration system. Australians are generous people. We welcome migrants. We value their contribution and we are rightly proud of our multicultural society. But Australians also expect their government to manage migration responsibly, to uphold the law and to put community safety first. That is the standard against which the migration section of the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026 must be judged. Immigration is not just an abstract policy debate. It affects real people—families trying to find housing, workers competing for jobs, communities relying on already stretched services and migrants who have followed the rules and played by the book.

Views on immigration are strong in outer metro electorates such as mine, where infrastructure is under pressure. Western Sydney has a wonderful multicultural community and concerns around immigration levels are not about race but about services and quality of life. In late 2025, results from a local survey showed that many of my constituents believe immigration is too high and impacts roads, hospitals, schools and housing. Eighty-two per cent said that immigration is important to them. Ninety-one per cent said it was placing significant pressure on our services and infrastructure, such as our roads, our schools and our hospitals. Ninety per cent want us to decrease the level of immigration.

It's not just about the pressures. Migration concerns are also about the safety of our citizens. Today, I received hundreds of emails from concerned people in my electorate, as well as hundreds more from across Australia, who are deeply concerned about this bill. I say this to them: I have heard you; I have read your emails and your opinions matter. Shane from Orchard Hill shares that immigration is having a negative impact on the community. Housing, infrastructure and schools are his biggest concerns. Louise from Claremont Meadows says: 'Successful societies are based on social cohesion. Immigration in Australia is a failed experiment that has led to high crime rates, lower standards of living and lower social cohesion.'

Our communities deserve a migration system built on integrity at its core. That means clear rules, consistent enforcement and decisions that are made in Australia's national interest. Measures that strengthen the government's ability to deal with serious criminal conduct, protect the community and enforce visa conditions are necessary. Australians should not be asked to accept a system that allows dangerous individuals to enter and remain in our country because of weak laws or administrative failure. Integrity cuts both ways. Strong powers must come with strong safeguards. Ministerial discretion must be exercised transparently and responsibly. Decisions that affect people's lives must be lawful, proportionate and subject to proper scrutiny. The rule of law is not optional, and it must apply to government just as much as it applies to everyone else. This parliament has a duty to get it right.

With very little time, the coalition has been focused, working hard to ensure that this legislation targets genuine threats. We are working through what's left of the bill to make sure that it works and that it deals with hate and extremist groups. This means enabling the immigration minister to deal with Islamic extremists, who we want to stop coming into this country. These groups are a genuine threat to our safety and to our way of life.

The revised legislation no longer includes the provisions that sparked free-speech concerns across the parliament—although, even with the changes, we must ensure that it does not impinge on freedom of expression or freedom of association. Instead, it must focus on the tougher penalties for existing hate crimes, expanded powers to list hate organisations, and stronger visa cancellation and refusal powers in relation to noncitizens engaged in extremist activity and online extremist views and ideology.

The migration amendments in this bill sharpen the focus of existing character powers so that they clearly capture extremist advocacy and antisemitic behaviour, including where that conduct occurs online offshore. Antisemitism today is often transnational in nature, spread through digital platforms, imported through overseas networks and amplified by individuals who have no permanent stake in Australia. The coalition supports clearer grounds for refusing or cancelling visas where a noncitizen has demonstrated that they promote racial or ethnic hatred. We have pushed for additional safeguards to address the risks, and we have worked to ensure that there are additional protections contained in the legislation.

We need to remember why we're here: to tackle extremist groups, to better protect Jewish Australians—and all Australians—and to ensure that terrorism does not continue. We must ensure that the integrity of this bill is strong and that Australians can have confidence in it.

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