00:01Right now, the refugee intake is capped at 20,000 places a year, and that was actually
00:07imposed back in 2023 under the Albanese government by then Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.
00:15But we're now learning, according to reports in the Australian Financial Review, that the
00:20Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, intends to reduce that intake back to the kind of
00:25baseline level of 13,750 refugee places from next financial year.
00:32Now, Mr Burke's office has confirmed this and said that the intake increase to 20,000
00:37was only ever temporary and was only funded for four years.
00:40But I've spoken to half a dozen Labor MPs who have totally disputed that characterisation
00:45and say that when Labor lifted the intake in its first term, it was assumed, or is believed,
00:50widely understood, to be an enduring and permanent increase.
00:55And I've also been told that this proposed change to lower the intake hasn't been canvassed
00:59in any caucus forums.
01:01And one MP has gone so far as to say they believe that it will ultimately be maintained at the
01:06level of 20,000 when the next cycle of budget negotiations and deliberations begin.
01:13Part of the confusion, or adding to the confusion really about this decision we're hearing about
01:17today is the fact that only last month, the ALP National Conference unanimously passed a resolution
01:24committing Labor to maintaining the refugee intake at 20,000 places a year, with an aspiration
01:31to eventually get to 27,000 places.
01:34And I think within Labor, for some members, this is really a sacred issue, because many
01:40party members have been forced to sort of reluctantly accept Labor's adoption of very hardline border
01:45protection policies, including boat turnbacks.
01:48That was a big issue about a decade ago.
01:50But that was in exchange for the promise of lifting Australia's humanitarian intake.
01:54So it's a deeply felt issue.
01:57And that's why we're sort of, we will, I expect, see some pushback to it.
02:00Now, speaking today at the Daily Telly's Bush Summit in Dubbo, the Prime Minister was asked
02:06about this report and he said, don't believe everything you read in the Fin.
02:10So he hasn't ruled it in, he hasn't ruled it out.
02:12But that does suggest perhaps that the government hasn't yet finalised its policy in this area,
02:17despite the fact that Tony Burke's office today was confirming that there are plans to reduce
02:21the intake from next financial year.
02:23Yeah, Jane, this all is coming in the midst of a pretty heated debate over migration.
02:29When are we expecting Labor to outline its plans?
02:33Well, who knows at this stage, because Tony Burke was actually supposed to or scheduled to
02:39announce the details of Labor's immigration overhaul about three weeks ago.
02:43But that speech at the National Press Club was abruptly cancelled.
02:47We know behind the scenes there were some concerns within Labor from, you know, the measures
02:53being too strong to the measures being not strong enough to actually meet Labor's objective
02:58of reducing net overseas migration from the current 300,000 down to 225,000.
03:03So the latest estimate we have is that the minister will outline the changes in September.
03:08And what we know is the government is looking to clamp down on temporary visas.
03:13That could be in the space of student, skilled, backpacker visas, graduate visas and parent visas,
03:21all really designed to reduce overseas arrivals and actually achieve Labor's immigration targets
03:27that it has consistently overshot.
03:29So there's been a lot of speculation about what might be contained in this package.
03:33Today, the Prime Minister spoke of cracking down on temporary visa holders who he says
03:38are gaming the system.
03:39That is a reference to a situation that's leading to what's called permanent temporary visa holders
03:44where people come to Australia on a visa.
03:47Before that visa expires, they make a claim for protection.
03:50And if that claim for protection is rejected, that person can still stay in Australia for years
03:56as they appeal that decision.
03:58And so that's leading to some people staying on bridging holders in the community for years
04:01and years when they still have work rights.
04:03So that's another area the government's looking to clamp down on.
04:06But in terms of the actual details and when, that's all TBC at this stage.
04:09So that's what we're going to do.
