In short:
Business groups, miners and the housing industry have welcomed the federal government's changes to the migration system.
asserted
groups → welcome → system
But farmers and the hospitality and tourism industries say the government's crackdown on working holiday visas will hit the economy and make labour shortages worse.
asserted
shortages → say → economy
Data show Australia's population grew by 392,700 people in the past year.
asserted
population → show → year
The government's policies could see that number drop to roughly 325,000 a year.
uncertain
number → see → 325,000
Tony Burke, the minister for immigration, announced Labor's much-anticipated migration policy reforms on Thursday.
asserted
Burke → announce → Thursday
He said Labor wants to push net overseas migration (NOM) down to 225,000 people a year, from 292,000 where it currently sits.
asserted
it → say → 292,000
He also wants to tighten visa rules for international students and backpackers, and to increase efforts to remove visa overstayers from the country.
asserted
He → want → country
His announcement came days after One Nation unveiled plans to push NOM into negative territory for three years before imposing an annual cap of 130,000, and as the Coalition finalises plans for a policy that is expected to pursue NOM of between 150,000 and 170,000 people.
asserted
that → come → people
"We are now walking straight into an argument," Mr Burke declared on Thursday.
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Burke → walk → Thursday
"We have people who will be going to the next election effectively arguing that in regional areas you'll have large-scale hospital closures and doctors that you just can't find.
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you → have → that
"It means a whole lot of aged care just won't be available for elderly relatives, if they were to implement the sorts of numbers they're talking about.
asserted
they → mean → numbers
"
But while the mining industry has welcomed Labor's policy announcement, farmers are furious, and the hospitality industry is not happy.
asserted
industry → welcome → announcement
Labor plans to introduce a ballot system for the Working Holiday Maker program, and to set processing times for applications for the program to three months.
asserted
Labor → plan → months
It wants to crack down on rogue migration agents.
asserted
It → want → agents
It wants to introduce a No Further Stay condition to all visitor visas to ensure that they are only used by genuine visitors and not as a pathway to extending a stay in Australia.
And it wants to improve the integrity of student visas by stopping visa hopping, among other measures.
asserted
it → want → measures
Andrew McKellar, the chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), said the policy package was a "material toughening" of the migration system, but it could still be improved.
uncertain
it → say → system
"On balance, I think it's a fairly reasonable plan that's been put forward," he told The Business.
asserted
he → think → Business
"It certainly doesn't do significant damage to the economy, but it does leave some gaps.
asserted
it → do → gaps
"If you compare what we've seen in some of the other proposals that are around, you know, One Nation's plan was put out earlier this week, that involved very deep cuts.
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that → compare → cuts
It would plunge the Australian economy into a deep recession, and it would also curtail the long-term growth potential of the economy.
asserted
it → plunge → economy
I think what we're seeing here is something that is steady, responsible."
asserted
that → think → what
Mr McKellar said the overall level of migration under Labor's plan would also be reduced, "which is something that is acknowledged the public has been calling for."
"I hope this can restore some confidence in the system going forward," he said.
asserted
he → say → system
What is Labor trying to achieve?
asserted
Labor → try → What
Labor has announced its policy at a time when concerns have been growing about high rates of immigration and rapid population growth.
asserted
concerns → announce → immigration
But on Thursday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released new data showing that the post-COVID shock to Australia's population has largely receded.
asserted
shock → release → population
The data showed that Australia's population is now growing more slowly than in the years before COVID.
asserted
population → show → COVID
The data also showed that the "natural increase" in Australia's population (births minus deaths) has been slowing down significantly in recent years.
asserted
increase → show → years
So Australia's overall population growth is being kept afloat by net overseas migration, but net overseas migration is also still falling from its post-COVID peak.
asserted
migration → keep → peak
However, Mr Burke said he still wants to see net overseas migration continue to decline from its current rate of around 292,130 people to 225,000 a year by 2028.
asserted
migration → say → 2028
If one assumes that the natural increase in Australia's population remains around 100,000 people a year, Labor's lower NOM target will therefore push overall population growth down to around 325,000 a year.
asserted
target → assume → 325,000
The last time Australia's population grew by that little was in 2011 (excluding the chaotic COVID period).
asserted
population → grow → period
In the past 12 months, Australia's population grew by 392,728 people, which is far fewer than in 2008 (459,504 people), and fewer than in 2012 (405,826 people) and 2017 (407,984 people).
asserted
which → grow → 2012
Farmers, hospitality industry angry
Labor's new migration policy has upset farmers and the hospitality and tourism industries.
asserted
policy → upset → farmers
They say the political focus on population growth is leading to damaging policies.
asserted
focus → say → policies
James Goodwin, Accommodation Australia's chief executive, said the hotel industry needs migration due to chronic workforce shortages and this will make things worse.
asserted
things → say → shortages
"What's lost in all this talk about migration numbers is that fundamentally Australia as a nation has a huge workforce challenge here,"he said.
asserted
Australia → lose → challenge
"It will now be harder for hotels to access the workers we need and the changes will increase competition in an already tight labour market.
asserted
changes → access → market
"
The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) thinks Labor's plan to restrict Working Holiday Makers will have unintended consequences.
asserted
plan → think → consequences
"Targeting working holiday makers makes no logical sense — they are a motivated and mobile workforce who help fill seasonal work, especially in the regions," AHA chief executive Stephen Ferguson said.
asserted
Ferguson → target → regions
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) warned the Albanese government was putting Australia's food security, regional economies and farm safety at risk.
"If the government wants to end rorts, then it should target the rorts," NFF president Hamish McIntyre said.
asserted
McIntyre → warn → rorts
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
