Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

Filling workforce shortages and gaps, increasing the skills available for businesses, driving productivity and innovation, increasing and contributing to significant economic growth, enhancing business and entrepreneurship and increasing consumer demand are all things that support the continuation of a strong, sustainable migration policy.

In fact, Senator Tyrrell, you often asked me questions in this place about health care and Medicare when I was repping that portfolio. I think, where we have demand for skills that far outstrips the ability to supply those, anyone who goes into a hospital or an aged-care facility or, in fact, many of those industries that support care across our economy will see migrants there who've been brought in under various programs to support the delivery of services to the Australian community. If you look at doctor shortages or if you look at nursing shortages in allied health and the care economy more broadly, these jobs are critical to supporting our economy, our economic growth and our productivity agenda. Without migrants coming in on a sustainable program—and, as we have noticed in the last few years, net overseas migration has actually declined more than 40 per cent— (Time expired)