Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the assistant minister. I want to note that the responsible shadow minister, Senator Duniam, has received a verbal briefing from the government. I note too that he has received a draft of the legislation. This legislation does have the coalition's in-principle support. I note that there will be a Senate inquiry this evening, which will inform the final position taken by the coalition, but we do not see any major hurdles. Thus, today we will be supporting the passage of the bill through the House.

This bill, the Migration Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Bill 2026, contains reasonable measures to strengthen the integrity of Australia's migration system. The bill provides the government with additional tools to temporarily restrict the arrival of certain classes of temporary visa holders where circumstances overseas create a risk that people may not depart Australia when their visas expire. These powers are designed to protect the integrity and sustainability of Australia's migration system, particularly where international events increase the risk of visa overstays. In particular, the bill allows the minister to make an arrival control determination, which can temporarily suspend the effect of certain temporary visas for people outside Australia, where it is in the national interest. These determinations are time limited and subject to reporting requirements, ensuring that they remain targeted and transparent.

The coalition has, of course, always argued that Australia's migration system must be well managed, orderly and sustainable, and measures that strengthen system integrity are sensible and will be supported. However, this legislation also highlights a broader issue, that being Labor's overall record on immigration management, which has been deeply concerning. Under Labor, migration numbers have been too high and standards too low, placing pressure on housing infrastructure and vitally important public services. While targeted integrity measures like those in this bill are welcome, they cannot substitute for the strong overall migration management that Australia needs. The coalition has consistently called for a migration program that balances economic needs with community capacity and strong integrity safeguards. We will continue to support measures that protect the integrity of the visa system while holding the government to account for its failure to properly manage migration settings overall.

Question agreed to, Mr Wilkie dissenting.

Bill read a second time.

Debate adjourned.

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