Former Prime Minister and IPA Distinguished Fellow Tony Abbott has urged a dramatic reduction in Australia’s migration intake, insisting that new arrivals embrace Australian values and actively contribute to society.
“We really need to get our act together in terms of having a genuine skills-based migration program that’s much smaller than the current one,” Abbott said.
“and insisting to the new migrants that they are not just living in Hotel Australia, they are now actively part of Team Australia, and need to subscribe to the sort of values that until recently we took great pride in.”
Abbott made these comments speaking on the latest episode of the Australia’s Future podcast alongside Daniel Wild, Deputy Executive Director at the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA).
Abbott also highlighted the need for a genuinely skills-based migration program that is significantly smaller than the current one.
In his latest blog, the former prime minister also argued with data that immigration, while sensitive, must be openly discussed and carefully managed.
Abbott posted, It’s more than possible to be pro-migrant without supporting an ever-larger and an ever-more-diverse immigration programme… there should be no expectation, in making migrants welcome, that they be allowed to reshape their new countries to resemble their old ones.”
He emphasised that high levels of immigration can strain economies and societies, calling for a halt to mass immigration across the Anglosphere.
Earlier, Abbott has also called out sacking of Senator Jacinta Price from Liberal Party’s frontbench as “a big loss and added but that he is “confident that she will continue to make a strong contribution to our public life.”
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