The Australian reports, the Coalition’s cap on permanent migration numbers will cut the targets set under the former Labor government by up to 30,000 people a year and impose, for the first time, an official ceiling on numbers.
The government’s razor gang, the Expenditure Review Committee of cabinet, has signed off on the key elements of the Coalition’s broader population policy.
Cabinet has also signed off on a regional settlement policy which will impose visa conditions requiring a fixed number of the general skilled migrant stream to reside in cities other than Sydney and Melbourne for a minimum of five years.
There will also be incentives for overseas students, who numbered more than 500,000 last year, to attend regional universities and those in cities other than the two largest capitals.
Conservative Party leader Cory Bernardi has told Peta Credlin on Sky News immigration isn’t working for us and it’s not just permanent migration numbers that are out of control.
