The Senate will now consider the proposal from Senator Hanson, submitted under standing order 75 today, which has also been circulated and is shown on the Dynamic Red:

That in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need for the Albanese Labor government to abandon its migration policies that will add an extra 1 million people to Australia's population over the next four years on top of the 1.6 million people Labor has already added since coming to office.

Is consideration of the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with the informal arrangements made by the whips.

I move:

That in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need for the Albanese Labor government to abandon its migration policies that will add an extra 1 million people to Australia's population over the next four years on top of the 1.6 million people Labor has already added since coming to office.

I'll tell the Australian people why the government are doing this. The government is using mass migration to prop up the GDP and to cover up their economic mismanagement. Now the Australian people have a choice. One Nation will cut the number of temporary visa holders in the country by more than 750,000 over a period of three years. Labor intend to add an extra million. Some people aren't reading One Nation's policies. Why? It's because they choose to ridicule us just because we're One Nation.

We aren't cutting backpackers, WHMs. We're not cutting the PALM scheme. We aren't cutting any skilled temporary migrants. One Nation will cut the number of temporary visa holders to 2017 levels. The economy didn't crash in 2017, and, in fact, many Australians were better off. We will also restore the number of temporary international students to 2015 levels, a time when our universities were strong and served the national interest. We will stop international students and temporary skilled workers bringing their entire families over.

Our principles on migration are simple. Temporary migrants should come for a limited period of time by themselves and leave when their visa is over. Those who illegally overstay should be deported. The Albanese Labor government are trying to reach their targets by cracking down on backpackers and tourists. Labor's attacks will cause economic destruction in our hospitality, farming and tourism sectors. The government is trying to pull statistical tricks to game the numbers. They've lied to Australians about how many skilled migrants are arriving. Minister Burke is finally delivering his plan to add a million more migrants at the National Press Club tomorrow. He's been running scared from One Nation and his own cabinet because we are putting pressure on the major parties to act on behalf of the Australian people, who have been screaming out for this for years. One Nation is implementing the will of the people on migration, because they have been ignored for far too long. Cut migration, and Australian living standards will go up.

I welcome the opportunity to make some comments about migration, and I note that, in the Senate tonight, we are probably the most successful migration nation that the world has known, because we have been able to subsume millions of people since the first fleet arrived in Sydney some 250 years ago. Over the last 75 years, I make the point that the Liberal Party has been a party which has heavily supported an orderly migration scheme. If you go back to the post-war period, Menzies in particular presided over the huge boom in postwar migration, which reshaped modern Australia. Then of course, Harold Holt dismantled the White Australia policy, and then we had Malcolm Fraser, who was known as the great humanitarian, perhaps most for his admission of the Vietnamese refugees, who were at a loss because of a conflict which we participated in, while others declined to support their entry to Australia.

I make the point that, over the last 75 years or so, there has been strong support for building up Australia as a migrant nation, because we've needed people, and that's been done in the last few decades on the basis of nondiscrimination. I think that's an important point to make. Over the last few years, I would say that the confidence in the migration settings have begun to fray. We have seen 1.5 million people come into this country—on track for 2 million—over the course of Labor's term in office. That has been the biggest surge in our migrant population since the postwar boom, and this has been done at a time when infrastructure has not kept up with the amount of migrants that we've seen.

That's why people are going bananas about this, because the volume of people does not match the infrastructure and the housing that has been needed—1.5 million people and 500,000 new homes. You don't need to be a mathematician or an economist to work out what's gone wrong there. That is why we have pledged that we would link migration to housing completions. If we want to maintain confidence in the migration system, we need to have housing for new Australians as well as the people who are already here. The most important duty of a government is to protect its people. What the government has failed to do is to protect the people who've been here for generations. They've been done over by this migration policy, which is not in keeping with the orderly systems that we've had in the past.

That's why there's been a loss of confidence, because, quite simply, the government is incompetent. It has let in too many people. It's been desperate for economic growth. It can't get growth out of the economy, so it's got to bring people in. The only thing that keeps GDP going in this country is migration, because their productivity is shot. The economy is cactus. Look at insolvencies. Look at the death of small business. Look at the growth of the public sector under this government. The public sector and migration are keeping this economy afloat in an anaemic way. But this is a per capita recession. It may not be a technical recession, but it's a real recession for most people. That's why people are going bananas. That's why people have lost confidence in this government's ability to manage this important issue.

I make the point that we need to bring down migration. We need to have fewer temporary migrants. We need to get more skilled migrants. We need to change the mix, and we need to lower the number of people coming in through the system and the people who are already here. At the end of the day, if we want to maintain our ethos as a proud migration nation—a country that's been able to subsume people from all over the world and been a safe haven for refugees and people who have built lives in, contribute to and love this country—then we need to maintain the community's confidence that the migration system is working for Australia, not working for others. The fear in the community is that the migration system is out of control, doesn't work for the punters and doesn't work for the people. And I have all the confidence that the people have it right, which is why we need to link migration to housing completions and get more skilled people in as we reduce temporary migration.

What I never hear in this debate is how anyone is going to materially improve the lives of people here. They phrase this debate about housing, about wages—never do they put forward how they're going to take on the one per cent and make people's lives better. The parties in here—Labor, One Nation and those of the coalition—and their ultrawealthy backers have targeted migrants repeatedly over decades of underinvestment in housing, public health and core services because migrants are an easy distraction for them and their billionaire backers. Migrants don't tend to be massively rich. Some are, but they don't tend to be. Many of them don't vote, and they're just the perfect scapegoat for a political class that refuses to take on the ultrawealthy, so One Nation and Labor are more than happy to gang up on them. We'll see the same thing tomorrow when Minister Burke stands up, with One Nation grinning over his shoulder. We know it's all dog whistling.

We've actually lived through an experience of net negative migration. During COVID, Australia's population went down—and Australia's house prices rose by more than 20 per cent in just 18 months. Everyone forgets that because it disturbs the narrative. Let's be clear. Your mum's friend from the Philippines who's an emergency nurse at the local hospital had no say over how much of the federal budget went into public housing or health. The family down on the corner who run the grocery shop aren't in cabinet when the government decides to cut NDIS funding. Your friend's partner who moved from Canada to get married wasn't on the phone to Albanese telling him to fast-track AI. The bloke in your local football team who fled war in Iraq wasn't in charge of setting interest rates.

Sorry, Senator Shoebridge; we have a point of order from Senator Polley.

The senator should be referring to people in the other place by their correct titles.

Thank you, Senator Polley. Senator Shoebridge, could you please refer to those in the other place by their titles.

Here's a secret: we all have a lot more in common with someone who came to Australia to be united with their loved ones or flee an oppressive government than we do with the ultrawealthy and the one per cent. We won't fall for it. Australia is proudly multicultural, but it does need to be fairer, and that requires solidarity.

Labor is proud of the fact that we've strengthened immigration to this country. We understand and we value what immigrants have, decade after decade, brought to our country and to our cities, our towns and our communities. Those opposite, particularly those of One Nation, are opposed to immigration, and they're opposed, like us—we are opposed to people who rort the immigration system. But we're not racist. We know that there's a history that is well recorded in this country of those who are racist and have been for decades. Almost everyone who comes to Australia respects our country, is a welcome guest and abides by our laws and our visa system. But we have no time for those who come here, break our laws and try to game our migration system in ways it wasn't intended to operate. That's why we are building a migration system that delivers skills that we need while ending exploitation and rorts. The Albanese Labor government has been focused on running a sustainable migration program responsibly and in the national interest, not based on stunts and posturing, like the coalition and One Nation.

Nurses, aged-care workers, teachers and tradies all play a crucial role in Australia's society through skilled migration. That's the reality of what's happening in Australia. We've also invested $85 million to better enable migrants to have their skills recognised here more quickly so they can get working in our construction sector and other trades areas. This follows our work to fast-track skills assessments for migrants, which so far has made more than 20,000 migrants available to work in construction and trades.

Since we came to government we've been cleaning up the mess left by those opposite. When Labor came to government, net overseas migration was soaring. Since then we have made sensible, considered changes that have brought down net overseas migration by 45 per cent from the postpandemic peak—which those from One Nation refuse to acknowledge, because they are the almighty who know everything but actually have no real idea. That's why they will never, ever govern in this country.

I want to talk about One Nation's plan, as they say, to have a well-managed, targeted migration program. Rather than lifting living standards and productivity, One Nation's plan will mean we won't have the workers we need to build our homes, look after our elderly, care for the sick and provide other services that Australians rely on. One Nation's migration numbers aren't worth the paper they're printed on. They say they'd cap net overseas migration at 130,000, but they haven't included backpackers in that figure, so they're already off by 50,000. They say they'd be able to keep the exact number of doctors, nurses and construction workers coming to Australia, which shows they know nothing about migration except their prejudice, because these workers won't come if they can't bring their family; they won't come if they can't bring their partners, their husbands, their wives and their children.

They say they'll deport anyone without a visa. But when you ask them, 'How are you going to achieve this?' the member for New England says, 'People will just pop up to be deported.' One Nation's so-called migration policy is nothing more than a political stunt that makes a mockery of the Australian people's legitimate concerns about migration levels and the availability of housing services and infrastructure. They are so ignorant to the benefits that migrants have brought to this country.

The coalition, on the other hand—we had Senator Bragg making his contribution—are over this way one day, over that way the other. We know they've been led around by One Nation. And I understand why the coalition do that, because there are Liberals and certainly a lot of Nationals who are going to lose their seats. But the Australian people are not fools. They know Senator Hanson— (Time expired)

Labor has an addiction that is crippling Australia. As this urgency motion notes, the government has added 1.6 million people to Australia since they came to office. That is the equivalent of more than six Hobarts. But Labor didn't build six more Hobarts; they piled those people on top of the people already living in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide—every city in the country. They drove up housing costs to unimaginable levels beyond what so many young people in Australia could even hope to pay. Record rents have dragged people back into poverty. Massive increases in demand for all goods and services mean we are living with the highest inflation in the developed world. With all the signs flashing red, Minister Burke couldn't even get his own party room to agree on cuts. He had to cancel his presser when his own party room revolted. I can't wait till tomorrow!

Labor has no intention of stopping. Their targets are going to add another one million people in the next four years. That's just their target, and we know how good they are at hitting a target. This is not normal. We lead the OECD in immigration. This is a concerted effort by Labor to hide its failures. They are trying to mask their economic failures by pumping more people into the country to keep up headline GDP. But look at the metrics that are the best indicators of standard of living: productivity and per capita GDP. We have gone backwards under this Labor government. Do they course correct? No, they double down. This arrogant Labor government is planning to keep the pain coming for Australians and has the gall to say that our immigration plan is reckless.

Australians disagree. One Nation is the party Australians trust to get immigration right. We have listened, and we will deliver net negative migration for three years while we reset Australia's immigration system. We have spoken with industry and made sure that the cuts we are making are responsible and targeted. When we make policy, we put the flourishing of Australians at the heart of our plans. This is no different. We want the people who live here, the Australian people, to see their standard of living improve. We want Australians to have the first crack at housing, jobs and a better life. Labor wants another million people in the country. One Nation is putting the Australian people first.

I rise to oppose Senator Hanson's motion. When Australians are under pressure, political leaders have a choice. We can offer practical solutions, or we can look for someone to blame. This motion is another attempt by One Nation to punch down and blame migrants. One Nation has blamed migrants for the housing crisis as well as a drop in productivity. But what One Nation doesn't understand is the difference between correlation and causation. These are not simple issues. There are multiple factors at play, and it requires serious and practical policy responses, not scapegoating.

Labor, on the other hand, understand the importance of our migrant communities. We know that a strong migration system brings in the skills that Australia genuinely needs—nurses caring for our sick, aged-care workers supporting older Australians, teachers educating our children, and tradies building the homes that our communities so desperately need. The overwhelming majority of people who come to Australia respect our laws and make a valuable contribution to our country. Labor is proud of the strength that immigration has brought to our country.

Two weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with businesses in Shepparton, from laundries and agriculture businesses to the advanced manufacturing sector. Their message to me was crystal clear: if migrant workers were cut, especially in those regions, they would suffer. One Nation's plan won't provide a well-managed, targeted migration program. Rather than lift living standards and productivity, One Nation's plan will mean we won't have the workers we need to build our homes, look after our elderly, care for our sick or provide many of the services that we need and rely on every single day. It will make our communities and regional communities pay the price, and for what? An absolute political stunt that makes a mockery of the legitimate concerns Australians have about migration, housing, services and infrastructure.

That is why this government, the Albanese Labor government, is taking a different approach, managing migration responsibly, sustainably and in line with Australia's national interest. That means welcoming those who contribute to our country and taking firm action against anyone who breaks our laws or tries to game our migration system, which is why we are stamping out exploitation, abuse and rorts in our migration system, from tightening student visas to shutting down dodgy providers.

When Labor came to government, those opposite had made a mess out of the migration system. Net overseas migration was surging in the aftermath of the pandemic. Since then, Labor has worked hard to clean up the mess left by those opposite. We have brought it down by 45 per cent from its postpandemic peak. Net overseas migration is now 301,000, down more than 45 per cent from the post-COVID peak, and temporary visa migration and international student migration are continuing to fall. That is what responsible government looks like—bringing migration back to sustainable levels while making sure our hospitals, aged-care services, schools, construction sites and regional businesses, like those that I met in Shepparton, can still find the workers that they need.

Australians deserve an honest debate about population, housing and infrastructure. They deserve governments that plan properly, invest in services and act when the system is being misused. What they do not deserve is a motion that reduces every challenge to one cause and treats people who have chosen to call Australia home as a problem. Migrants are our neighbours, our colleagues, our carers and our small-business owners. In regional communities, they also keep farms, factories, hospitality venues and other local businesses operating when employers cannot find enough workers locally. They are part of the communities that we represent, and they should not be used as a convenient target when the policy questions before us demand serious answers.

We will keep doing the hard work of managing migration in the national interest. We will not support scapegoating dressed up as policy, and we will not support this motion.

The motion before the Senate is straightforward. It calls on the Albanese Labor government to abandon mass migration policies that will add another one million people to the Australian population over the next four years on top of the population growth Australia has already experienced since Labor came to office. The question for the government is very simple: do you really believe Australia can keep adding people at this pace when housing, infrastructure and essential services are already struggling to keep up?

Since June 2020, Australia's population has risen from about 26 million to 27.8 million. Net overseas migration has been the major driver of this population explosion. The government's own budget forecasts net overseas migration of 245,000 next financial year, followed by 225,000 a year after that. That is if you can believe them, because they constantly overshoot those predictions.

We all understand that regional Australia needs workers and employers need access to skills that cannot be found locally, which is why our very sensible immigration policy that we have put forward this week addresses those issues. Either the Labor government hasn't read them or they're choosing to continue to mislead the Australian people.

The things that you claim do not justify migration levels that add further pressure to housing and services. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found almost four out of five temporary residents live in capital cities, with half in Sydney and Melbourne. Among international students, 62 per cent live in those two cities. So these large temporary migration numbers cannot simply be justified as being necessary for regional Australia. That's absurd. It shows your argument to be absurd. One Nation's position is that any immigration should reflect Australia's need and capacity. Where there is a genuine skills shortage, fill it. Where regions need workers, provide them. We also must look at training our own workers. We cannot simply use the easy excuse of mass migration to help prop up the GDP that the Labor Party so often falls back to.

We can look around the world. Canada reduced its temporary resident targets, and they're going forward. Their gross domestic product per capita has gone up. Around the world, we see examples that prove what you say is untrue. The issue is whether Australia's migration intake should continue at your levels, and the answer is no. We hope that the Senate agrees to that.

There's something quite sinister going on with immigration policy in Australia today, and it needs to be called out. Here's what's happening, folks. One Nation is pulling the strings on immigration in this country, and the Labor Party and the coalition are trying to outcompete each other to dance to the One Nation tune.

Here is how it's working. Labor wants a bipartisan immigration policy, which means that the Labor Party wants the coalition to agree. This is the very coalition that is currently engaged in a race to the bottom on immigration policy with One Nation—a race to the bottom on who can demonise migrants in the most unfair way. You've got Senator Pauline Hanson driving the bus, and Mr Albanese and Mr Taylor are just along for the ride. Labor is letting One Nation and a Liberal Party that is racing to outflank them on the right dictate its migration policy. This attitude from Labor is craven. It's weak. It's cowardly, and migrants to Australia and First Nations people will pay the price and are paying the price for Labor's cowardice.

I'll tell you what. When the far right demands migrants be blamed for housing, for wages, for the state of our hospitals, for infrastructure or for the cracks in the footpath outside people's homes—whatever real or imagined problems that migrants are going to get blamed for next by One Nation—Labor's response should be to fight back. It should be to call it out. It should be to fight back, and it should be to absolutely have the backs of migrants in this country, but what does the Labor Party do? It caves. It accepts the One Nation premise. It shifts to the right. It gives the far right another victory and then wonders why the far right keeps on growing.

Let us never forget a couple of things about the Australian Labor Party. They have spent more years in their history supporting the White Australia policy than they have opposing it. Labor invented the torture of indefinite immigration detention, and that history ought to impose a particular responsibility on the Labor Party to stand up against radicalised anti-immigration policies today. Instead Labor is showing Australians that, if One Nation and the coalition shout loudly enough, Labor will retreat. You cannot spend one day denouncing Senator Hanson and the next day let her ghostwrite your policy. Every Labor surrender legitimises the far right.

The question is that the urgency motion moved by Senator Hanson be agreed to.