The Albanese Labor government is not afraid of hard conversations, and we are willing to have a respectful and constructive discussion about migration. We believe migration enriches our country. It should not be used as a tool to sow division for political gain. We are making tailored and targeted changes to our migration system to give us more control over who arrives, who stays and who leaves. We're closing the loopholes that see our migration system manipulated for unintended purposes and tightening the rules so that visas mean what they say. Importantly, our reforms do not change our annual humanitarian intake, which remains a vital chance for people that are displaced by conflict and persecution to rebuild a safer life here in Australia, and people already in Australia will continue under the arrangements from when they arrived. These are good and progressive reforms.

The reality is that we have an ageing population. According to the Intergenerational report 2026, even with skilled migration, deaths in Australia are projected to outnumber births by the 2060s. The number of Australians aged 85 and over is expected to triple in the next 40 years, driving increased demand for health and aged care. The report also states that skilled migration will continue to play an important role in the workforce, including in the care economy. Without adequate migration, Australia has a real and growing workforce issue. Drastic cuts to migration would leave Australia without the people who staff our hospitals and our aged-care homes, build our houses and transport food and goods across our country.

As the politics of division increasingly permeate our daily lives, there has never been a more important time to reflect on what it means to be Australian and on what it takes to create a socially cohesive society. One of our greatest strengths is our diversity. Our modern nation has been built by people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Australia has never been a monoculture. Our history begins tens of thousands of years ago with the world's oldest continuous culture, comprising hundreds of distinct First Nations languages, customs and beliefs. Since Federation, successive generations of migrants have enriched the fabric of Australian society, and nowhere demonstrates this more than my area of the Illawarra. Multiculturalism strengthens our nation, and it deserves to be celebrated and embraced. As a country, we are at our best when we come together with mutual respect and understanding. It is incredibly disheartening when our differences are weaponised to divide us.

As elected representatives, we have a responsibility to keep our multicultural communities safe. Both the Indian and Muslim communities in my electorate have told me they fear for their safety. University students, refugees and women who wear a hijab, in particular, are scared. One community leader said that, over the 40 years that she has been here in Australia, she has never felt such levels of hatred targeted at her community. These are people who have chosen Australia. They work hard and they want to give back to their communities, but they are feeling afraid because of these toxic debates. Countering this threat to our multicultural success story is crucial. I believe we are all united in a common pride in being Australian, and that must be underpinned by a commitment to respect—