Speaking on ABC’s 9 October politics live-blog, shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie defended the Coalition’s migration blueprint to reduce Australia’s stock of temporary visas by 650,000 across four years and cap net overseas migration at 100,000 for two years. The plan – unveiled by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor on 6 October – would abolish most post-study Graduate visas, toughen student-visa settings, and force many second temporary-visa applications offshore. Hastie dismissed criticism from employer groups, arguing that excessive reliance on temporary workers “erodes rights” and that business must adapt. The Opposition says skilled streams and a new 15,000-place project visa will offset losses, but details remain scant and costings are still before the Parliamentary Budget Office. Aged-care peak body Ageing Australia and rideshare companies have already flagged workforce risks, while university leaders warn the cap on new international-student enrolments could strip billions from the sector. Analysts note that if enacted the Coalition’s targets would put Australia’s migration program below levels seen during the 2020-21 pandemic border closure. For global-mobility planners the proposal – though only an election promise – signals bipartisan pressure to shrink Australia’s temporary-visa pipelines. Employers dependent on 482 or 485 holders should stress-test hiring strategies, advance permanent-residence applications where possible and monitor parliamentary debate for transitional provisions.
Source: ABC News
