Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, , 7:10:29 to 7:13:21
The committee debates the record high migration numbers following the pandemic and the government's new regulations to restrict secondary dependents for international students and temporary graduate visa holders.
Topics: Education, Employment
Speakers: Senator Pauline Hanson, Hon Murray Watt, Clare Sharp, Senator Jana Stewart
Minister, you actually spoke about the migration numbers that have to come back. Do you admit that is under the Labor government has the highest record of the number of migrants that have ever come to this country in a single year?
I I already acknowledged that after COVID, we saw a huge spike in migration numbers into Australia. Of course, that all occurred under the settings for the migration system that we'd inherited from the previous government. We then went about making changes to those settings, reducing international students, reducing the number of hours that international students could work, a range of other changes that we undertook, which have now seen the net overseen overseas migration figure nearly halved compared to what we saw straight after COVID.
You got elected in 2020. Between 22 and 23, approximately 739,000 people come to the country. Net migration was around about 512,000, highest on record under your government. Now here we have in the four years that you've been in government, you've had 2.2 million students and postgraduate visas in the last four years under your Labor government. 385,000 of these have been the two family and partners of temporal temporary visa holders. Why haven't you gone after the temporary visa holders and partners of students and not the backpackers?
Well sorry, did you?
We want to encourage Senators. I understand that there is some context that's required sometimes in leading into some questions, but do encourage Senators to get to their questions. You've got about one minute left. Senator Hanson, so I'll throw you to the official.
Just proprietative Ms. Sharp. We have made changes and are continuing to make changes across a range of different visa categories, including international students. But Ms. Sharp might have something further to add there.
That's that's right, Minister. So earlier this month the government um announced and and put in place new regulations that will prevent most students and temporary graduates from having secondary dependents in Australia attached to their visa, uh attached to the primary student or temporary graduate holder, which will restrict those dependents the dependents coming with them while they're temporarily in Australia.