A clear preference for individuals from “liberal democracies” would be introduced under the Coalition’s new hardline immigration plan that will proudly “discriminate based on values”.
In a bid to chase populist support and claw support what the Coalition is losing to One Nation, Opposition Angus Taylor announced his immigration plans during a press conference in Sydney this morning.
He claimed Australians are “fed up” with Labor’s immigration policies, and that “It’s time to take back control from the technocrats, bureaucrats and the activists.”
Taylor noted a preference for those “migrating from liberal democracies” because they “have a greater likelihood of subscribing to Australian values compared to those coming from other places.” He said the Liberal party would create a “safe country list” and fast-track asylum claim refusals for those coming from countries deemed safe to return to.
As Women’s Agenda has previously outlined, Taylor’s take on “Australian values” is unclear.
Taylor is part of a growing group seeking to cherry-pick Australian values, and conveniently overlooks the stated values of equality, compassion and respect.
Visa applicants are required to sign the Australian Values Statement with the Home Affairs Department, noting that the statement is “based on freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity” and is central to our community remaining a secure, prosperous and peaceful place to live.
It’s unclear if Taylor is keen to change this values statement, and what kind of framework he’d use for a new one.
But Taylor is convinced that “Australia has a non-discriminatory immigration program” and that needs to change.
“For an immigration program to work in the national interest, it must discriminate based on values,” he said.
There are two categories of migrants, according to Taylor. There are those who embrace Australia and those who want Australia “to change for them’ and fall into the “subversive” category.
“Declining immigration standards have seen our door open to migrants of subversive intent,” Taylor said.
“Unfortunately, something has changed in recent times. Immigration numbers are too high. Consequently, Australians can see their country changing for the worse.”
The Coalition plan would require those seeking permanent residency to learn English, non-citizens to wait longer for access to support services, and restrictions on access to the Federal government’s 5 per cent housing deposit scheme.
The overall plan has remarkable similarities to policies recently presented by the Trump administration, including Taylor’s bonus announcement that tourists obtaining visa would have to have their social media accounts vetted.
Taylor also declared that “bigger Australia” has not meant a “better Australia”, without outlining what a better Australia actually means.
Without evidence, Taylor said that too many people are seeking to exploit the generosity of Australia, “for self-serving purposes,” and too many migrants of “subversive intent” have been allowed into the country under Labor.
Without evidence again, Taylor said that, “the cohort of Gazans let into Australia following the 7 October attacks present a clear risk to our country”. This group has been vetted by ASIO and the Department of Foreign Affairs, but Taylor says they must now undergo another assessment with “far greater scrutiny.”
The Greens have already described Taylor’s plan as a “2026 version of the White Australia” policy, and declared that both Labor and the Coalition “see the racism and division of One Nation and Trump, and instead of fighting it, they copy it.”
Independent MP Zali Steggall has responded by declaring she is “appalled” by Taylor’s comments on Palestinian refugees.
“Suggesting people fleeing conflict are inherently a risk based on where they come from — especially when they have been vetted by agencies such as DFAT and ASIO — is deeply irresponsible and discriminatory,” Steggall said.
She described what was unveiled by the Coalition this morning as an attempt to distract from the Opposition’s “lack of real policies of dog-whistling to One Nation voters.”
It’s telling that Taylor has only offered some initial pillars of his immigration plan, with more details to come. He’s likely to wait to assess the popularity of the first announcements, aiming to iterate further in real time based on how a noisy cohort of voters responds.