Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 40:01 to 43:25
Discussion on the sustainability of partner and parent visa numbers, including the Greens' stance on family reunification versus government caps.
Topics: Human rights, Public service staffing
Speakers: Senator David Shoebridge, Hon Murray Watt, Michael Willard, Unknown Speaker
to be able to give you the figures that demonstrate the growth that we've seen in partner visa applications as part of my answer.
>> Well, Mr. Willow, do you recall I asked for that data previously?
>> I'll read those figures in now. I've got them in front of me. Um, so 2021 2022 uh lodgements of partner provisional was 44,48. The following year was 51,800. The following year was 65,160. Then 68,15. And then last year was 66,916.
so there's been an an increase of what? 22,000 over the course of 5 years.
>> Nearly 50%.
>> An increase of 22,000 over 5 years.
>> Yeah. Which is nearly 50%. and and
minister, that's your position that Australia can't absorb 22,000 partners coming completing a family. That that is too much and you've I think put the you've put the cap in in in processing numbers at just over 40,000.
>> Well, tonight, [clears throat] so far today, what I've heard from Green senators is that we should increase partner visa numbers, increase parent visa numbers, increase backpacker numbers. Um, you know, we'll probably get to other categories that you'd like us to increase.
Senator Bler was that your proposal to radically reduce the number of backpacker numbers is something that she doesn't support and indeed not she's not an island on that. There's there's widespread anxiety about your proposal to reduce those numbers. That that was the conversation and you should fairly
characterize you had with Senator Blair characterize it. That was that is what she was calling for is more backpackers than we are proposing to allow despite the fact we are at
I've had these conversations with her. I know what her position is and you're mischaracterizing it. She says that your proposal to radically reduce the number of backpackers will cause significant harm. Um and indeed she's not alone in that. Your government made this decision without any consultation and you've been told from multiple sources the harm it
will cause. What I said like 30 seconds ago was that Senator Blar is saying that we that we need more backpackers than what our government is proposing to allow. And as I say, we've gone through several categories of uh visa applicants now. Um all of which the Greens say we should increase. Uh our government's view is that uh to continue seeing the sorts of numbers uh cumulatively across every category that you're talking about is simply unsustainable.
>> Well, I I want to be clear, my party, the Greens, believes Australian falls in love with somebody from another country, they are entitled to complete their family in a timely fashion. um if Australians are living here and their parents are overseas that they have a right to complete their family and parents provide enormous benefits to families to look after kids to pass on culture and our party believes that um your position of putting a 43-year delay for parent visas is unsustainable to be clear it is it is unfair and it's inappropriate to answer your question.
>> Thank you for the statement. Yep.