'We have to find whatever means possible': Government open to increasing migration cap to fix skills shortage
- The federal government could consider lifting its cap on migration in order to address critical skills shortages.
- Skills Minister Brendan O'Connor said he was open to boosting labour supply across the country.
The federal government is examining whether to lift the annual cap on migration in order to address critical skills shortages.
Skills Minister Brendan O'Connor said he was open to boosting labour supply across the country, particularly in sectors where there were critical shortages.
While the current annual migration cap sits at 160,000, reports suggest it could be raised to 180,000 or as high as 200,000.
However, Mr O'Connor said no decision had been made on what the threshold would be, but it would be in the best interests for the country.
"We have to find whatever means possible to supply skills to our labour market, because increasing the skills in our labour market will increase productivity," Mr O'Connor told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.
"When it comes to looking at the immigration threshold, we are examining where are the shortages."
Mr O'Connor said there had been a significant drop in permanent skilled workers in recent years, driven by the pandemic.
"Investment in the Australian workforce is our number one priority, but we also have to, obviously, look at areas of acute demand and give opportunities for the temporary and permanent skilled migration paths," he said.
"What we are looking at is making sure we measure properly the skills, competencies, of people that come into the country."
Following lockdowns and border closures associated with the pandemic and keeping staff.
Skills shortages are expected to be a key topic of discussion at the government's jobs and skills summit, set to take place next month.
The summit will bring together about 100 people from unions, businesses, civil society and government.
Greens leader Adam Band flagged he would attend the summit, alongside the party's employment spokeswoman Barbara Pocock, after receiving an invitation from the government.
Mr Bandt said he would use his appearance to urge a repeal of stage three tax cuts and for governments to invest in social services instead.
It is estimated the stage three tax cuts would cost $224 billion over 10 years.
"The Greens welcome the opportunity to attend this important summit and gain community support for our plans to make workers' lives better," Mr Bandt said.
"Australia is in a full-blown inequality crisis, with wages and incomes low and the cost of living rising, and the government must intervene to fix it."
It comes after Opposition leader Peter Dutton turned down an invitation to attend the summit, calling it a "stunt with the unions".
However, Nationals leader David Littleproud did accept the invitation, after he said it was critical for regional Australia to be represented at the meeting.
Australian Workers' Union secretary Dan Walton said the Nationals leader's appearance at the summit would be interesting.
"I certainly look forward to David Littleproud riding in here on his one-trick pony into the summit to again try and put forward some visas, short-term in nature ... as a way of trying to solve long-term, systemic issues in the agriculture industry," he told Sky News on Sunday.
"This guy doesn't have much credibility, and once again, he's banging the same drum of failed policies from the previous government."
Mr Walton said he welcomed the summit, indicating it was an opportunity to solve some long-term issues facing the country.
The union has previously called for businesses that take in migrant workers to also train an equal number of Australian workers.
