Angus Taylor Unveils Plan to Cut Net Migration to 100,000

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor announced a migration plan on Tuesday to significantly reduce net overseas migration in Australia. The Coalition proposes cutting annual net migration from nearly 300,000 to 100,000 in the first year following an election victory, eventually rising to 160,000 per year by the fourth year. This shift follows Newspoll data showing two-thirds of Australians desire fewer immigrants annually and aims to dent the rising popularity of the right-wing One Nation party.

The plan targets visa overstayers, students, and temporary non-essential workers. Specific measures include abolishing temporary graduate visas and eliminating bridging visas to prevent visa hopping, which would require migrants to apply for new visas offshore. The Coalition intends to cut student visas by 72,600 and halve the humanitarian intake to 10,000 per year by 2031/32. To protect regional industries, the plan maintains working holidaymaker places and introduces 15,000 skilled visas for major projects and a new agriculture visa by 2030.

This proposal is more aggressive than the Labor government's target of 245,000 for the 2026–27 financial year, which is slated to decrease to 225,000 by mid-2028. However, it remains less severe than One Nation's goal of 130,000 or its broader aim of net negative migration. Senator Pauline Hanson dismissed the move as a late imitation of One Nation's policies, while One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce characterized the shift as an endorsement of his party's direction. The Coalition claims the plan will better target essential skills and boost the federal budget by approximately $260 million.