Immigration

Summaries in reported speech - not a transcript.

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member asked why the government had not implemented cuts to immigration levels in the current budget, citing high daily arrival rates.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Kevin Hogan Nationals

  The member asked how Australians could trust the government's statements on migration and budget impacts, given the lack of immigration cuts and alleged fiscal mismanagement.

  Answered by Jim Chalmers

• Migration

  Senate · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Larissa Waters Greens

  The senator asked why the government was adopting strict enforcement measures similar to US ICE squads and why it was not working with the Greens to prioritize family reunion and humanitarian obligations.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  Senate · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Jonathon Duniam Liberal

  The senator asked why net overseas migration soared to over 500,000 in 2022-23 and why the government is only now acting on issues of 'permanent temporariness' identified in 2023.

  Answered by Don Farrell

• Migration

  Senate · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Tyron Whitten One Nation

  The senator asked why the government insisted on a higher immigration rate than other developed nations and how it reconciled its stance with Canada's economic performance under negative migration.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member asked whether the Treasurer or cabinet had approved the $7 billion cost associated with reversing the humanitarian intake reduction before the Prime Minister communicated the decision to a journalist. He also ...

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member asked again whether the Treasurer or cabinet had approved the $7 billion increase. He also asked if the Prime Minister ruled out any cuts to the humanitarian immigration intake.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  Senate · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · David Shoebridge Greens

  The senator asked why the government chose to align with right-wing parties on migration rather than supporting multicultural Australia. In supplementary questions, he asked if the government intended to treat migrants a...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Helen Haines Ind

  The member asked if the minister would urgently update his direction and reverse the go-slow on working holiday visas, citing desperate employer needs in nursing, fruit picking, and bushfire recovery.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  Senate · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Sean Bell One Nation

  The senator asked whether the government would adopt One Nation's policy to end visa hopping and refuse student visas for low-quality courses.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  Senate · Monday 14 September 2026 · Tyron Whitten One Nation

  The senator asked if the government accepted that high immigration caused capital shallowing and was a material cause of the productivity slump. He followed up by citing Canada's experience with cutting immigration to bo...

  Answered by Katy Gallagher

• Economy

  Senate · Monday 14 September 2026 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The senator asked why people could not find enough work under the government, citing rising underutilization. He followed up by asking if the government had failed to keep its promise of a paid job for everyone who wants...

  Answered by Katy Gallagher

• Employment

  Senate · Monday 7 September 2026 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The senator asked why the government brought in many new arrivals when there was insufficient work for 1.68 million underutilised Australians. He claimed mass immigration was creating a labor glut that pulled down real w...

  Answered by Katy Gallagher

• Visa Refusal or Cancellation

  Senate · Thursday 20 August 2026 · Tyron Whitten One Nation

  The senator asked how many cases involving child sex offenders the Home Affairs Minister had intervened in to prevent visa retention. He followed up by asking about specific actions taken regarding a Federal Court decisi...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion

  Senate · Monday 17 August 2026 · David Shoebridge Greens

  The member asked if the government was treating the Royal Commission with seriousness and providing necessary support. He specifically asked if the government would intervene to grant a visa to a former ASIO source denie...

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Migration

  Senate · Monday 17 August 2026 · Sean Bell One Nation

  The member asked why the government continued to accept migration from countries deemed too dangerous for Australians to visit. He cited specific countries like Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria, and asked why the government ...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Monday 17 August 2026 · Zali Steggall Ind

  The member asked the Treasurer what modelling Treasury had done on the economic damage from cuts to skilled migration and which sectors would need to scale back due to worker shortages.

  Answered by Jim Chalmers

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 12 August 2026 · Alison Penfold Nationals

  The member asked how many more migrants the Prime Minister intended to bring before building enough homes to house them, alleging migration had harmed homeownership.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Humanitarian Visas

  Senate · Tuesday 11 August 2026 · David Pocock Ind

  The senator asked whether the government was satisfied it had kept its word in getting those who served Australia to safety. He sought a commitment to bring every certified LEE home and a timeline for their arrival.

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Housing

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 11 August 2026 · Kevin Hogan Nationals

  The member asked which factors were to blame for rising rents: immigration, tax policies, interest rates, or all of the above.

  Answered by Jim Chalmers

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 23 June 2026 · Bob Katter KAP

  The member asked how the government would handle the financial situation arising from increasing temporary visa numbers, noting that 92 per cent reside in Sydney and Melbourne where he claimed there are no jobs.

  Answered by Jim Chalmers

• Economy, Migration

  Senate · Monday 22 June 2026 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The member asked how 301,000 new permanent arrivals would impact GDP per hours worked. He questioned whether the low proportion of skilled migrants would cause productivity to continue falling.

  Answered by Katy Gallagher

• Economy

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 3 June 2026 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member asked why the government relied on high migration levels to drive economic growth, citing the arrival of over 1.4 million migrants.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Housing

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 2 June 2026 · Leon Rebello LNP

  The member asked whether the government's migration policies, which brought in 1.4 million migrants, made it harder for Australians to afford homes.

  Answered by Clare O'Neil

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Monday 25 May 2026 · Mike Freelander ALP

  The member asked the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship how the government was reforming the migration system and how this compared to other approaches.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Housing

  Senate · Thursday 14 May 2026 · Pauline Hanson One Nation

  The member asked how the public could trust government statements on foreign ownership levels when 80 per cent of foreign owners allegedly failed to comply with disclosure laws. She further asked why the government did n...

  Answered by Katy Gallagher

• Housing

  House of Representatives · Thursday 14 May 2026 · Alison Penfold Nationals

  The member asked how many houses have been built for new migrants, noting that the government had fallen 77,000 homes behind its target and allowed 1.4 million new migrants since being elected.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Thursday 14 May 2026 · Anne Stanley ALP

  The member asked for key updates to migration in the budget and whether there were any alternative approaches.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Housing

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 13 May 2026 · Tim Wilson Liberal

  The member asked where new migrants would live, given the arrival of 1.4 million people since the government took office and a housing target shortfall of 77,000 homes.

  Answered by Jim Chalmers

• Housing

  Senate · Tuesday 12 May 2026 · Tyron Whitten One Nation

  The senator inquired about the aggregate potential cost of residential mortgage failures within the 5% deposit initiative. Additional queries questioned why the government was implementing measures that would eliminate r...

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Migration: Skills Recognition

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 31 March 2026 · Allegra Spender Ind

  The member asked what concrete steps the government would take to make skills recognition for migrants faster, fairer, and more affordable.

  Answered by Jim Chalmers

• Migration

  Senate · Tuesday 31 March 2026 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The senator asked why the government was not offering refugee status to Christians persecuted in Nigeria and South Africa, alleging the program favored Muslim countries. He asked if the government would reduce Islamic re...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Iranian Visitor Visas

  House of Representatives · Thursday 26 March 2026 · Gabriel Ng ALP

  The member asked for clarification on the arrival control determination for Iranian visitor visas, specifically who was affected, who was not, and how compassionate cases would be handled.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Middle East

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 10 March 2026 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member expressed support for the government's deployment in the Middle East and its handling of asylum seeker applications, stating they should be consistent with Australian law and national interest.

  Answered by The Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese)

• Australian Defence Force

  Senate · Tuesday 10 March 2026 · Larissa Waters Greens

  The member asked if the deployment was requested by the US administration and how the decision was made. She further questioned how weapons could be used solely for defensive purposes and why Iranian visa holders were be...

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Economy

  House of Representatives · Thursday 5 March 2026 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member asked the Prime Minister to confirm whether recent data showed that economic growth since 2022 was driven solely by immigration and increased labor effort without corresponding wage increases.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Thursday 5 March 2026 · Tim Wilson Liberal

  The member asked the Prime Minister to confirm that population growth from immigration had increased by 1.9 million since 2022 and that the government had failed to meet housing construction targets by tens of thousands.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Visa Refusal or Cancellation

  Senate · Thursday 5 March 2026 · Jonathon Duniam Liberal

  The member asked what actions the minister was taking to ensure the visa of Lucien Daher was cancelled. He sought to know how the government would send a message to visa holders that sexual crimes against children would ...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 4 March 2026 · Angie Bell LNP

  The member asked the Prime Minister to accept responsibility for declining living standards and alleged out-of-control migration.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Housing

  Senate · Monday 2 March 2026 · Tyron Whitten One Nation

  The member asked whether the government accepts that immigration levels significantly impact house and rental prices.

  Answered by Tim Ayres

• Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 20 January 2026 · Mike Freelander ALP

  The member asked what the government was doing to strengthen laws to combat antisemitism, hate, and extremism.

  Answered by Michelle Rowland

• National Security

  House of Representatives · Thursday 27 November 2025 · Dai Le Ind

  The member asked whether the Minister for Home Affairs or any other government minister was present at the airport when women affiliated with ISIS arrived in Sydney in September.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Asylum Seekers

  House of Representatives · Thursday 27 November 2025 · Monique Ryan Ind

  The member asked whether the opacity, wastefulness, and cruelty of the arrangements with Nauru, including payments of at least $2.5 billion, reflected well on the country.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  Senate · Wednesday 26 November 2025 · Tammy Tyrrell Ind

  The senator asked the government to outline the economic benefits migrants bring to Australia and their essential role in the care sector.

  Answered by Katy Gallagher

• Migration

  Senate · Wednesday 26 November 2025 · Fatima Payman Australia's Voice

  The senator asked whether the government would condemn the US directive to collect migrant crime data.

  Answered by Penny Wong

• Migration

  Senate · Tuesday 25 November 2025 · Sean Bell One Nation

  The member asked why the government relied on importing migrants to fill skills gaps rather than investing in a domestic workforce, and whether it would adopt policies to end net zero targets to redirect workers to housi...

  Answered by Malarndirri McCarthy

• Immigration

  Senate · Monday 24 November 2025 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The member asked why the humanitarian visa program appeared to favour Islamic refugees over Christian refugees, citing the religious demographics of the top source countries. He followed up by noting that no visas had be...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  Senate · Tuesday 4 November 2025 · Paul Scarr Liberal

  The member asked whether the government held specific target numbers or ranges for permanent and net overseas migration across short, medium, and long-term periods. He also questioned how state and federal planning for h...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  Senate · Tuesday 4 November 2025 · Sean Bell One Nation

  The member asked why more action had not been taken to remove illegal immigrants, citing housing crises and overwhelmed services. He asked when serious removals would begin and why the government allowed so many to remai...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Humanitarian Visas

  Senate · Monday 3 November 2025 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The senator asked for the specific countries of origin for the majority of humanitarian visa grants during the specified period. He subsequently inquired about the total number of visas issued and the specific counts for...

  Answered by Murray Watt

• National Security

  House of Representatives · Thursday 9 October 2025 · Sussan Ley Liberal

  The member asked why the Prime Minister claimed no assistance was provided to returning ISIS brides when evidence indicated the government facilitated various legal and administrative processes for this cohort.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  Senate · Thursday 4 September 2025 · Varun Ghosh ALP

  The senator asked how a balanced migration policy benefited the nation and what the government was doing to maintain social cohesion amidst rising anti-immigration sentiment.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Immigration

  Senate · Monday 1 September 2025 · David Shoebridge Greens

  The member asked why the government labels refugees as criminals and whether this rhetoric fuels far-right rallies. She cited concerns from human rights organizations about the impact of the laws.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  Senate · Monday 1 September 2025 · Ralph Babet UAP

  The member asked how record-high immigration levels encourage social harmony. He challenged the minister's characterization of rally attendees as motivated by hate.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Multiculturalism

  House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Ash Ambihaipahar ALP

  The member asked how the government was strengthening and building upon the success of multicultural Australia.

  Answered by Anne Aly

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Monday 1 September 2025 · Bob Katter KAP

  The member asked if stopping migration and implementing resource reservations would save money and create economic development.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese; Madeleine King

• Migration

  Senate · Thursday 28 August 2025 · Tyron Whitten One Nation

  The member asked if the government accepted that record immigration was outpacing investment and driving declining productivity. He followed up by asking why the government denied a correlation between immigration and po...

  Answered by Katy Gallagher

• Migration

  Senate · Thursday 31 July 2025 · Tyron Whitten One Nation

  The senator asked for data on permanent resident visas and the total non-citizen population, and why the government had not stopped mass migration to address housing affordability.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• International Students

  Senate · Thursday 24 July 2025 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The senator asked if the government would cancel the visas of 23,000 students who purchased qualifications in breach of visa conditions.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Thursday 27 March 2025 · Dan Tehan Liberal

  The member asked if the Prime Minister could guarantee that the number of new arrivals would not exceed two million over the next five years, given the budget's prediction of 1.8 million.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 26 March 2025 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member asked when the Treasurer would clarify the real impact of the government's plan to bring in 1.8 million immigrants over five years amidst an escalating housing crisis.

  Answered by Jim Chalmers

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 26 March 2025 · Angus Taylor Liberal

  The member asked the Treasurer to guarantee that the Migration Program would not exceed 1.8 million people over the next five years.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  Senate · Tuesday 25 March 2025 · Malcolm Roberts One Nation

  The member asked where the new international students would sleep, implying a housing shortage.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Albanese Government

  House of Representatives · Thursday 13 February 2025 · Zoe McKenzie Liberal

  The member asked why the Prime Minister would not apologize for weak leadership regarding migration and housing.

  Answered by Anthony Albanese

• Migration

  Senate · Wednesday 12 February 2025 · Pauline Hanson One Nation

  The member asked why the government had failed to deport these individuals and enforce immigration laws, citing impacts on national security, wages, and public services.

  Answered by Murray Watt

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 12 February 2025 · Gordon Reid ALP

  The member asked why maintaining visa system integrity was important and if the minister was aware of approaches threatening it.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Business Innovation and Investment Program: Significant Investor Stream

  House of Representatives · Monday 10 February 2025 · Dan Repacholi ALP

  The member asked why the government ended the visa scheme, what the response had been, and whether the minister was aware of other threats to visa system integrity.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  House of Representatives · Thursday 6 February 2025 · Rob Mitchell ALP

  The member asked what the government had done to eliminate problematic visa programs and if alternative proposals would weaken the system.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Business Innovation and Investment Program

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 4 February 2025 · Shayne Neumann ALP

  The member asked why the significant investor visa was abolished and if the minister was aware of proposals that would undermine visa system integrity.

  Answered by Tony Burke

• Migration

  Senate · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Ross Cadell (NSW) (National Party) Nationals

  Senators debated the government's recent announcements regarding migration caps and border enforcement. The National Party and One Nation criticised the government for failing to reduce immigration levels sufficiently an...

• Answers to Questions

  Senate · Thursday 17 September 2026 · Dean Smith (Western Australia) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  Senators debated the government's recent policy announcements regarding migration controls and healthcare funding. The Opposition criticised the government for losing control of borders and harming veterans and pensioner...

• Migration

  Senate · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · David Shoebridge (NSW) (Australian Greens) Greens

  Senator David Shoebridge moved a motion to take note of answers regarding migration. He criticised the government for collaborating with the Coalition and One Nation on restrictive migration measures, including offshore ...

• Migration

  Senate · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Pauline Hanson (QLD) (Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) One Nation

  Senator Pauline Hanson moved a matter of public importance urging the government to halt migration policies that would increase the population by one million over four years, citing infrastructure strain and economic mis...

• Modern Slavery

  House of Representatives · Wednesday 16 September 2026 · Bob Katter (Kennedy) (Katter's Australian Party) KAP

  The debate centred on a motion moved by the member for Kennedy to strengthen Australia's response to modern slavery, specifically regarding fresh produce imports. The mover argued that current reporting requirements were...

• Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026; Second Reading

  Senate · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Matt O'Sullivan (WA) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  The debate focused on the bill's provisions for allocating Commonwealth supported places, controlling international student numbers, and establishing needs-based funding. Matt O'Sullivan outlined the Coalition's position...

• Migration

  Senate · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · Sean Bell (NSW) (Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) One Nation

  Senator Sean Bell moved a motion to take note of the Minister's answer regarding migration. Bell criticised the government for failing to provide clear answers on visa-hopping and migration forecasts. He argued that inte...

• Migration

  Senate · Monday 14 September 2026 · Tyron Whitten (WA) (Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) One Nation

  Senator Tyron Whitten moved a motion to take note of the Minister for Finance's answer regarding migration and productivity. Whitten argued that mass immigration was suppressing productivity through capital shallowing, c...

• Economy

  House of Representatives · Monday 14 September 2026 · Andrew Wallace (Fisher) (Liberal National Party) LNP

  The debate centred on a motion moved by the Coalition outlining an economic plan focused on tax cuts, energy affordability, and housing supply. Coalition members argued that the government had failed to manage the econom...

• Agriculture Industry

  House of Representatives · Monday 14 September 2026 · Darren Chester (Gippsland) (National Party) Nationals

  The debate centred on a motion moved by the National Party urging the government to reverse changes to visa processing that disadvantaged the agriculture sector. Opposition members argued that Ministerial Direction 119 a...

• Employment

  Senate · Tuesday 8 September 2026 · Malcolm Roberts (QLD) (Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) One Nation

  Senator Roberts moved a motion to take note of the Minister for Finance's answer regarding the labour market. Roberts argued that economic growth was poor and attributed this to high immigration levels, which he claimed ...

• Productivity Reforms

  House of Representatives · Monday 7 September 2026 · Matt Smith (Leichhardt) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  The House debated a motion supporting government productivity reforms aimed at removing regulatory barriers and reducing costs for businesses. Members highlighted measures such as making Australian Standards free, stream...

• Housing

  House of Representatives · Monday 7 September 2026 · Cameron Caldwell (Fadden) (Liberal National Party) LNP

  The debate centred on a motion moved by the Opposition condemning the Government's housing record and outlining Coalition alternatives. Government members defended their $47 billion housing agenda, citing increased build...

• Economy

  House of Representatives · Monday 7 September 2026 · Henry Pike (Bowman) (Liberal National Party) LNP

  Henry Pike moved a motion outlining the Opposition's economic plan, which included tax cuts, energy policy changes, migration caps, and fiscal responsibility measures. Tom French and Claire Clutterham responded by defend...

• National Security

  Senate · Thursday 20 August 2026 · Tyron Whitten (WA) (Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) One Nation

  Senator Tyron Whitten moved a motion to take note of the Minister for Home Affairs' answer regarding national security. Whitten criticised the government for prioritising international treaty obligations over Australian ...

• Migration Amendment (Overseas Organ Transplant Disclosure) Bill 2026; Second Reading

  Senate · Thursday 20 August 2026 · Dean Smith (WA) (Liberal Party) Liberal

  The Senate debated the Migration Amendment (Overseas Organ Transplant Disclosure) Bill 2026, which aims to combat organ trafficking by requiring disclosure of overseas transplants. The bill implements recommendations fro...

• Migration Amendment (Overseas Organ Transplant Disclosure) Bill 2026; First Reading

  Senate · Thursday 20 August 2026

• Administrative and Judicial Review Legislation Amendment Bill 2026; Second Reading

  Senate · Thursday 20 August 2026 · Tim Ayres (NSW) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  The debate concerned the Administrative and Judicial Review Legislation Amendment Bill 2026, which aimed to improve the efficiency of the Administrative Review Tribunal and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Austral...

• Administrative and Judicial Review Legislation Amendment Bill 2026; Second Reading

  House of Representatives · Thursday 20 August 2026 · Sarah Witty (Melbourne) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  The debate centred on amendments to the Administrative Review Tribunal Act and Migration Act aimed at improving efficiency and integrity in migration and protection reviews. Government members argued that reforms such as...

• Administrative and Judicial Review Legislation Amendment Bill 2026; Second Reading

  House of Representatives · Tuesday 18 August 2026 · Tom French (Moore) (Australian Labor Party) ALP

  The debate concerned amendments to improve the efficiency of the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) and the Federal Circuit and Family Court, particularly regarding migration caseloads. Key measures included allowing o...