In a morning interview with ABC Radio on 15 September, One Nation MP David Farley hinted the party is considering drastic cuts to partner and child visas—even for Australian citizens—as part of a plan to slash the temporary and family stream by 750,000 places over three years. The comments extend One Nation’s previously announced policy to ban dependants of skilled workers and international students. Legal scholars immediately questioned the proposal’s constitutionality, noting that family-reunion rights are strongly protected under international conventions to which Australia is a signatory. Migration agent Kian Bone warned that “outright caps on citizen family sponsorships would certainly face High Court challenge”. Although the minority party lacks the numbers to legislate, its agenda is shaping the political narrative ahead of a joint sitting on migration next month. Coalition back-benchers have applauded the emphasis on ‘Australian family first’, while business groups fear the rhetoric will spill over into skilled-visa quotas. For multinationals the prospect—even if remote—adds another layer of uncertainty when planning rotation cycles that rely on partner visas for trailing spouses. Mobility planners should monitor parliamentary committee hearings where the idea could be used as leverage during negotiations over Labor’s migration bill. The Department of Home Affairs reiterated that no formal proposal has been received but confirmed it is modelling potential economic impacts of large-scale family visa reductions as part of regular scenario analysis.
Source: ABC News
