SBS Punjabi put to Prime Minister Scott Morrison that there was nothing in last night’s budget for Australia’s large migrant community, which makes huge contributions to the country’s economy. We put to him that with the annual migration intake slashed by almost 20 per cent, down to 160,000 new migrants per year, doubling of the waiting times for access to welfare, sharp increase in the processing of visas and citizenship applications, and to add to that, last night’s budget proposed increasing all visa fees by 5 per cent.
So what’s in the Coalition government’s budget for new migrants?
"New migrants pay taxes and under our government, they’ll pay less tax," he said. "New migrants use hospital and medical services and we’ve increased funding for these.
“You see, I look at all Australians as one. Everyone who lives here is accessing the safety of our country and the opportunity to make a new life.”
He added, “What underpins this budget is a fair go to those having a go. It’s the reason we’re the most successful migrant and multicultural community in the world because migrants are here to make a contribution not take one.”
So why have all visa fees been increased by five per cent?
Mr Morrison said, “Having the opportunity to live in Aus is a great opportunity.”
“We want to make sure the country continues to be strong and we have a very healthy migrant intake to this country - it’s one of the things that has built our nation both economically and socially over generations. We want to continue offering this to migrants that’s what these fees are designed to support.”
The Prime Minister gave an assurance of continuing the migration program.
"Seventy per cent of our intake remains for skilled migrants. We will be maintaining all the places for the family migration program and the migration cap of 160,000 (down from 190, 000) is consistent with the actual level of intake.”
Click on the player at the top to listen to the interview.
