Australia's had a particular immigration strategy for decades, but it's in major need of repair.
It's wrong to say Australia hasn't had an immigration strategy for decades — we're living with its consequencesIt's wrong to say Australia hasn't had an immigration strategy for decades — we're living with its consequences
Mr Thistlethwaite argues it's because our post-war bipartisanship on immigration seemed to evaporate in the 1990s after "some civic leaders" stoked fear and division about it for political gain. Then it detailed how the Coalition government of John Howard significantly relaxed work visa regulations to meet its economic objectives in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
"As firms recruited workers from elsewhere in Australia to fill vacancies created by the mining boom, skills shortages emerged across the rest of the economy. Treasury officials suggested the government could "slow the process" of population aging by attracting more skilled and young migrants to Australia.But how did the Howard government increase Australia's immigration intake to record levels without a backlash from voters?
Philip Ruddock argued Labor had left the program out of balance, with family migration growing significantly under its watch at the expense of skill categories that bring "substantial economic benefit to the country." "Its reforms centred upon revising the immigration selection criteria to prioritise skilled visa applicants most likely to make a net positive contribution to the Australian economy and to make it easier for these applicants to obtain visas."
Immigation Policy Migration John Howard Temporary Work Visas Working Holiday Visas Chris Wright Howard Government Philip Ruddock
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