Australians deserve a migration system that they have confidence in, that strengthens our economy and that fills genuine skills shortages in construction, aged care and agricultural backpackers. They also deserve a migration system that brings people to Australia who want to contribute to our communities and our way of life. But, under the Albanese Labor government, that is not what we have seen. For too long the numbers have been too high and the standards have been too low, and the pressure on Australian communities has grown and grown. Since Labor came to office, about 1.5 million additional migrants have come to Australia. That is an extraordinary number of people in a short period of time.

While targeted migration can deliver enormous benefits to our country, right now too many Australians are struggling to get into the housing market. Birthing services and GP clinics are closing, roads are falling apart, and hospitals are struggling to meet the demand. These pressures are being felt right across the country, including in regional South Australia. When the hospitals are under pressure in our cities, you can imagine how much attention regional hospitals are getting—absolutely nothing. The pace and scale of that growth must be matched by our capacity to provide housing infrastructure and essential services. Regional communities understand the importance of migration. Our industries rely on workers and on backpackers to keep businesses operating, bring in the harvest, provide health care and aged care and support tourism and hospitality, particularly in the outback.

Just one example of Labor's mishandling of migration is the schemozzle they have made of the Working Holiday Maker program, which has created uncertainty for industries that rely on these workers. Working holiday-makers, also known as backpackers, drive our chaser bins, help our harvests, keep regional pubs and cafes operating and support tourism businesses that are vital to local economies. Labor's failure to manage the backpacker visas has left regional employers facing greater uncertainty during the most important time of the year.

The coalition's Australia-First Migration Plan sets out a clear path to reducing migration, raising standards and restoring the integrity of our migration system. We will reduce net overseas migration to 100,000 people a year in the first two years, before allowing it to recover to 160,000 in year 4. This will help ease pressure on housing and services, while ensuring migration levels are more closely aligned with Australia's capacity and workforce needs. But cutting the numbers is only part of the solution. We must also raise the standards and ensure our migration program is delivering the skills Australia actually needs. That means prioritising skilled migrants who can fill genuine shortages, including in construction, health care, aged care and other essential industries.

Our regional hospitals and healthcare services need skilled professionals. Our tourism and hospitality operators need staff. Our ag businesses need workers during harvest, including right now in my own part of the world in regional South Australia. We can bring overall migration numbers down while still ensuring regional businesses can access the workers they genuinely need. We also need to restore integrity to the temporary visa system. That means closing loopholes, cracking down on visa hopping and ensuring temporary visas are used for their intended purpose.