Peter Dutton has again refused to say exactly how the Coalition would make its promised cuts to migration, declining to say which skilled worker groups would be reduced or whether his target is even achievable given previous carveouts for working holidaymakers and families.
The opposition leader did say cuts to foreign worker numbers could be dealt with in part by allowing pensioners to work more hours without reducing their pensions.
In an at times testy press conference on Monday in the New South Wales Central Coast seat of Paterson, an important Liberal target, Dutton further confused the Coalition’s policy slate by saying he didn’t have plans to impose road-user charges on electric vehicle users – contradicting his transport spokesperson, Bridget McKenzie, who said on Sunday the Coalition would “look at” the idea. It was also at odds with energy spokesperson Ted O’Brien, who said the Coalition hadn’t made a decision on that yet.
The Coalition is proposing to cut permanent migration from 185,000 in 2024-25 to 140,000 in 2025-26. Permanent migration would increase to 150,000 in the next two years and then to 160,000 after that. Dutton has also committed to reducing a separate migration figure – the net overseas migration level – by 100,000 below Labor’s figures.
The Liberal leader said he would take advice from the Treasury and other government agencies if the Coalition won the 3 May election about how and where migration cuts could be made. But after the Coalition ruled out cuts to family visas, working holidaymakers and other categories, former immigration department deputy secretary Abul Rizvi said “the arithmetic doesn’t work” for Dutton’s planned cuts to migration.
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“If they’re going to be consistent with the Migration Act, the cut that Dutton has announced, noting the range of visas he won’t cut, is impossible to deliver,” Rizvi said.
The Coalition has been under pressure to release further details about which immigration streams it would target. Dutton has blamed an increase in immigration under Labor for increasing house prices and straining infrastructure, saying the cuts would allow construction to “catch up”.
McKenzie, who is also the Coalition’s infrastructure spokesperson, said on Sunday the Coalition would not cut working holiday visas as part of the proposed reductions, while immigration spokesperson Dan Tehan told Radio National last week that Dutton was “not targeting family visas”.
Tehan told RN that cuts to skilled migration would prioritise tradespeople, such as plumbers and builders, as well as hospitality and aged care.
Tehan said the Coalition’s net migration cuts could include 6,250 fewer humanitarian visas, 30,000 fewer foreign students, and unspecified cuts to come from a review of the temporary graduate visa and tighter enforcement of visa rules.
On Monday, Dutton wouldn’t say which workers would be safeguarded from skilled migration cuts, but said the Coalition would seek to increase labour supply by allowing pensioners to work more hours.
“That will replace some of the international labour that people are relying on,” he said.
“We will provide the settings once we have the economic advice in government. We have said we want to prioritise trades men and women who bring skills in to help build the houses. We won’t prioritise yoga teachers.”
Dutton was also asked during the Monday press conference if the Liberals would impose a road–user charge on EVs.
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“No, we don’t have plans in relation to that,” he said.
“This debate has been going on for a long period of time in other parts of the world as well. We don’t have any proposal in relation to the tax.”
Dutton’s ruling out of the road-user charge came just hours after O’Brien told Radio National “we’ve made no decision on that”.
“It’s certainly one of the big challenges for the next government … We need to ensure that investment can continue in our roads and we need equity. Whether you drive an EV, a diesel or a petrol car, you shouldn’t be treated differently from others,” O’Brien said.
“Nobody should be given a free ride, and everybody should be responsible for contributing to the upkeep of our infrastructure.”
McKenzie, the Nationals senator for Victoria, told Insiders on Sunday that EV users were “not contributing to our road task” because they did not pay fuel excise, and that all drivers needed to make “a contribution”.
She refused to be drawn on exactly how the Coalition envisaged EV drivers would make “contributions”, not confirming or denying whether that would include road-user charges.
Dutton has confirmed he would scrap a popular tax break for EV drivers.
