Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Mr Treasurer, some 900,000 student visa holders are now living in Australia. The number of temporary visa holders is increasing at one million a year. Clearly, within 10 or 13 years, the people who are not born in Australia will outnumber the people born in Australia. Treasurer—the cost. When one considers that 92 per cent of these people are going to Sydney and Melbourne, where there are no jobs—all industry has fled those cities—could you explain how you're going to handle the financial situation arising from these appalling numbers?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to the member for Kennedy for his question. Of course, in this country, the net overseas migration numbers have been coming down quite considerably. They were absolutely surging when we came to office. They're now down about 45 per cent from their peak. In the most recent net overseas migration numbers, which were released last week, they were down once again and are at their lowest level in a few years. Those are the facts. I know that those opposite, as they desperately try to cosy up to One Nation, dispute those facts. But those are the facts in the ABS data.

When it comes to employment, including in our major cities, this government has seen lower average unemployment than any government in the last 50 years. We're proud of that record when it comes to the labour market. Once again, those are facts. I'm not accusing the member for Kennedy of this, but if you have a look at the quite ridiculous answer, for example, that the Leader of the Opposition gave to a very simple question about the monoculture today, you can see what's going on over there. One of the reasons why the Liberal Party is dying in his arms is because his efforts to out 'One Nation' One Nation are becoming increasingly pathetic.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order goes to relevance. The question was about the rise in net overseas migration under the Labor government. You should come back to that.

Milton Dick (Speaker) | Link to this | Hansard source

Anyone who listened to that question wouldn't think it's a narrow question. There was a lot in that question. If you ask a question with a lot in it, you'll get an answer with a lot. And the Treasurer is—

The Leader of the Opposition, I'm going to ask you to desist in this continual banter.

Well, whoever you're talking with, I'm going to ask you—and ministers as well—to give it a rest for a while. Everyone, I need to hear the questions. I need to hear the answers. And it'll just help the House if this continual conversation has a pause for a while at least.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm responding to the interjection of the Leader of the Opposition, who's chirping at me about Australian values. This side of the House understands that a key Australian value is a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. This side of the House recognises the Australian value at the core of making it easier for people to buy their first home and not their 20th home. This side of the House recognises, in Australian values, the vast and important contribution made by multicultural Australia.

Not for this side of the House is there this rubbish, playing footsie with the 'monoculture' language being pushed around by One Nation. The Leader of the Opposition was asked again and again to define and defend basic Australian values, and he is unable, unwilling and incapable of doing that. This is why the Liberal Party is dying in his arms and on his watch, because everybody knows what's going on. His efforts to out 'One Nation' One Nation are looking more and more pathetic with each passing day. That's what's going on over there. This right-wing party and that right-wing party and that right-wing party are all the same. They've all got a divisive antiworker agenda. We think workers, young people and first home buyers are absolutely essential to Australian values, and our policies reflect that.