Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is trying to con voters by claiming he will slash net immigration because the figures are already falling, federal population minister Tony Burke says. Mr Abbott announced plans on Sunday to cut the number of migrants entering Australia from an estimated 300,000 a year to 170,000. He said the move will slow annual population growth from 2.1 per cent to a coalition target of 1.4 per cent.
But Mr Burke said migrant numbers were already falling and will reach a net annual influx of 145,000 by the end of the 2011-12 financial year.
The number is tumbling because of measures put in place by Labor, including changes to the integrity of student visas and 457 work visas, he said.
‘‘This morning Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey have been humiliated after they tried to pull a trick on the Australian people,’’ Mr Burke told reporters today in Sydney.
‘‘They tried to claim that they would be responsible for massive decreases in immigration, when all they’ve done is reproduce the figure that immigration figures have been going down to anyway.’’
Economic forecaster BIS Shrapnel has said annual net migration from overseas will fall steadily and decrease to 145,000 in 2011-12.
Mr Burke said migration figures tripled under the previous Howard Government, pushing the intake to a peak of 300,000 during the first 18 months of Labor’s term.
‘‘We then put in place some changes to deal with the integrity in particular of student visas and 457 work visas,’’ Mr Burke said.
Net overseas migration figures have fallen since then, he said, totalling 230,000 in the 2009-10 financial year.
Mr Burke said further decreases were expected to match the BIS Shrapnel estimates of 175,000 in 2010-2011 and 145,000 in 2011-2012.
‘‘The forecast figures actually take us lower than what Tony Abbott has claimed today,’’ Mr Burke said.
‘‘All that he’s done is look at the projection for the following year, claimed that it’s his own policy and thought he could get away with fooling the Australian people.’’