If ever there was doubt that the shadow of One Nation hangs over the very heart of the Albanese Government it has been removed amid chaos over Labor’s migration policy.
The Government’s disarray over the hottest issue in the country was vividly illustrated when Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke abruptly pulled out of a key speech this week in which he was due to unveil a set of migration policy changes.
The Government has been under immense pressure over concerns about excessive migration numbers, which has been the major factor behind the party of Pauline Hanson’s spectacular surge in polling numbers.
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One Nation and the Coalition have both pushed for significant cuts to migration numbers.
The Government’s planned changes went before Cabinet on Monday — without Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is on leave.
Mr Burke had reportedly been set to reveal cuts to migration — but that this would just aim to meet the existing targets rather than actually lower the existing numbers.
The latter part of the equation would be nothing less than an admission that its migration policy is failing.
The sudden abandonment of the Thursday address was further evidence that the Albanese Government’s policy planning and implementation are falling well short of what is required to run a good administration.
For starters, just witness the way it has had to bring in piecemeal changes to its broken promises Budget to meet ongoing unintended consequences.
And now the migration shemozzle.
With the rising sentiment that migration numbers are too high and linked to housing shortages, last month Mr Burke reportedly issued low key ministerial directions to reconfigure the skilled visa processing priorities.
The plan reportedly aims to have skilled migrants already in Australia given priority for permanent places ahead of applicants from overseas.
It would be a way to employ a political fix by cosmetically reducing net overseas migration — and it also reportedly aimed to give priority to jobs in defence, construction, health and aged care.
Shadow home affairs and immigration minister Jonno Duniam criticised the Government for a lack of transparency and accused it of managing “migration by stealth”.
“The Government has made a significant change here without proper announcement or consultation,” he said.
“Simply rearranging the processing queue may cosmetically reduce net migration, but it will do nothing meaningful to fix the backlogs, visa hopping and poor administration that created this enormous onshore temporary population.”
The Cabinet meeting on Monday had reportedly considered measures including tougher family visa rules, backpacker numbers and asylum seeker work and appeal rights.
And then the plug was pulled on any announcements this week.
A spokesperson for Mr Burke said the speech would deal with the migration system “as a whole”.
“Yesterday it became clear that some elements of the speech would not be finalised by Thursday.”
It all points to a Cabinet and a Government under the pump.
It gives credence to the impression that the rise of One Nation has Labor in a spin.
And that despite its denials, the party’s inner sanctum is not fully agreed on what it should do to respond.
