One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has accused the Australian Labor government of repeatedly missing its own migration targets, asserting that the current trajectory indicates Australia is on track to welcome another one million migrants over the next four years. Hanson claimed that Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke's upcoming announcement on migration would not lead to a reduction in the intake.
'Tony Burke isn't cutting migration. He is doubling down on bringing in another million people over the next four years,' Hanson stated. 'This weak government has never once hit a migration target it set. Not once, in four years.'
Hanson cited several migration forecasts made by the government, alleging they were subsequently exceeded. She noted that the initial forecast for net overseas migration in October 2022 was 235,000, which later reportedly rose to 538,000. Hanson also pointed to Labor's May 2023 forecast of 315,000, claiming net overseas migration ultimately reached 429,000. Furthermore, she alleged that Labor's May 2024 forecast of 260,000 net overseas migration had increased to 306,000. Hanson also claimed that a forecast for December 2025 was revised from 260,000 to 295,000.
'Labor has never hit a migration target it set,' Hanson said. 'You just cannot trust Labor.'
Hanson's remarks come as Immigration Minister Tony Burke postponed a National Press Club address where he was expected to reveal reforms aimed at reducing migration. Reports suggested the proposed crackdown included stricter family visa rules, caps on backpacker numbers, and tighter restrictions for asylum seekers.
Hanson directly linked the government's migration policies to issues such as housing affordability, rising rents, and increased pressure on public services, stating, 'That's why your rent exploded, your pay went backwards, and your kids can't buy a home. It's why hospitals are turning away sick people.' She argued that Labor's immigration policies have 'overwhelmed Australia and sent us backwards.'
The Albanese Cabinet was scheduled to discuss the new migration policy, with politicians due to return to Canberra for the upcoming sitting fortnight. Hanson concluded by calling for the government's removal, stating, 'This lying Labor government has got to go.'