Australian Prime Minister credit Mok Suisse. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation Photo)
Prime Minister Mosuisse (Scott Morrison) said the cut in immigration quotas was "fair and square" and could not be changed.
Credit Mok said he plans to cut immigration quotas by 30,000 a year, according to Aussie and the Australian newspaper. "what I announced the night before," he told 2GB radio today, "was an open-minded procedure that would effectively bring the level of immigration back to normal. I did my homework before I made the decision. This year`s immigration program has been confirmed and we will make a decision in next year`s Budget. "
Australia currently has an annual immigration quota of one hundred and ninety thousand, but only one hundred and sixty one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine were approved last year. It is understood that the government will set a close figure this year.
Immigration Minister Gao Min (David Coleman) said the cut in immigration quotas was "absolutely justified" and would prevent Sydney and Melbourne from becoming more crowded. But he added that any changes proposed by the government would take into account the need for skilled immigrants and the economic benefits they bring. "all in all, immigration is a recruitment operation in this country," he told Sky News.
Australian Immigration Minister Gao Min. (photo by SBS)
Mr Gao is seen as implying a cut in quotas for temporary immigration programs, but not for students. International students are the main part of the project.
Immigration has always been important for Australia`s success, but the future of Sydney and Melbourne needs to be taken into account, population Minister (Alan Tudge) said. "these two cities are growing very fast and infrastructure is no longer up to date. We need to slow down and allow more people to travel to other parts of Australia," he told News Channel 9 today.
The Australian Minority Community Council Federation, (Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia), criticised the government`s proposal for "fragmentation."
Newman (Shayne Neumann), a Labour immigration spokesman, described the government`s proposal as a "cheap trick" and made headlines. He said: "when [credit Mosuisse] was an immigration minister to finance minister, Australia`s annual permanent immigration quota was set at one hundred and ninety thousand. If he`s doing it wrong, he should explain why he made it. "
Labour, however, did not completely reject the proposal.
Labour deputy leader Biggs (Tanya Plibersek) described Mr Mosuisse`s idea as an "ideological bubble" and criticized the government for failing to cut the quota for temporary work visas. But she added that Labour would consider supporting the government`s new population plan, cutting overall quotas and giving states more say. "We are willing to work with the government on these big issues that are important to the country," she said on November 20. What we need to see is that the government gives more details and less slogans. We believe that this is important to both the economy and the society. "
