Opened the debate
Whitten argued that the government's migration settings were harming productivity and living standards. Whitten cited the Reserve Bank of Australia's identification of capital shallowing as a factor suppressing productivity due to investment not keeping pace with new labour. Whitten noted that Canada and New Zealand had reduced mass immigration and seen productivity recover. Whitten stated that One Nation's policy would slash low-productivity visas and remove overstayers, aiming for negative net migration initially. However, he clarified that programs supporting rural communities, such as working holiday-makers and the PALM scheme, would be maintained.