World News
One Nation figures issue conflicting statements on party's immigration policy
Voters face contradictory explanations of the party's proposed migration cap and target figures.
The short version
- Prominent figures in Australia's One Nation party have offered conflicting accounts of its core immigration policy, revealing internal inconsistencies over proposed migration caps.
- The party's official website lists a cap of 130,000 visas per year, but leaders have disagreed on whether this represents a net overseas migration target, a hard cap, or if it excludes specific foreign worker programs.
- While some party members claim the figure is an absolute limit, leader Pauline Hanson confirmed that certain visa categories would not be included, meaning the total number of incoming migrants would exceed 130,000.
Key facts
- One Nation's official website states a policy to cap visas at 130,000 per year.[The Guardian]
- Barnaby Joyce, who defected to One Nation last December, stated that the 130,000 figure is a net overseas migration cap with no hidden additional visas.[The Guardian]
- David Farley suggested that the 130,000 net overseas migration target would exclude an additional 100,000 backpackers, skilled workers, and Pacific labor scheme participants.[The Guardian]
- Pauline Hanson stated that the 130,000 figure is for net overseas migration but confirmed it would exclude Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme workers, acknowledging that the actual number of allowed migrants would exceed 130,000.[The Guardian]
- Senator Malcolm Roberts expressed support for both "net negative migration" and a 130,000 net migration cap in a single interview, presenting mathematically conflicting interpretations of how the net total is calculated.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unclear whether One Nation's formal platform intends to enforce a net overseas migration target or a strict permanent visa ceiling, as different party members continue to present contradictory formulas.[The Guardian]