Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced that he does not want anyone we "don`t want or need" to emigrate to Australia and defend the current level of immigration.
Former Prime Minister ohn Howard and current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Turnbull recalled the well-known statement made by former Prime Minister John Howard in the 2001 general election that "we will decide who comes to the country and under what circumstances" and said Australia is in a "talent war" and a battle for skilled immigrants.
"what we want is that there is no one we don`t want or need, no one to come to Australia," the Prime Minister told 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell. this morning.
"the commitment I give you is that my government, and my government, the Australian government elected by the Australian people, determines who can come to Australia and whether they pass the humanitarian program (migration). Whether they come through family reunion, whether they are skilled immigrants, whether they are students, and I sat with me on the tram this morning. It is a huge difference between us and the Labour Party that we decide who comes here, because under the leadership of Shorten and Labour, they had previously outsourced our immigration program to smugglers under the leadership of Shorten and Labour. he did。 This is not a political language. That`s the truth. We don`t want that anymore. We decide who will come here. We represent the people of Australia as government. "
Host Mitchell suggested that the current budget forecast was based on maintaining the current level of permanent immigration of one hundred and ninety thousand per year, and that Mr. Turnbull disagreed with him.
"the one hundred and ninety thousand figure is an upper limit, and it`s not a target for permanent immigration," Mr. Turnbull said. "permanent immigration accounts for a relatively small proportion of total population movements. This year I will think the number of permanent immigrants will be between one hundred and seventy thousand and one hundred and eighty thousand. "
Asked if it was time to reassess our immigration levels, Turnbull said the program was "solely in Australia`s national interest."
"it`s always under review," he said. "We`ve been making sure we get the best quality immigrants. When you talk about numbers, it`s as if everyone is exactly the same. This is a matter of talent. We`re in a race for talent, and we want to bring the smartest people here through our permanent migration program, they bring the skills they don`t have here, and by bringing their skills here, To ensure the growth and prosperity of Australian enterprises. "
