![\"Patrick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789613172_40_Patrick_Commins.png\")
Patrick Commins<\/p>\nNet overseas migration falls to 292,000 in the year to MarchPatrick Commins<\/p>\n
Net overseas migration eased to 292,000 in the year to March, from 299,000 in December, according to new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.<\/p>\n
The data comes less than an hour out from a major address by Tony Burke, the minister for home affairs, at the National Press Club, where he will release Labor\u2019s migration plan amid an increasingly heated debate about the number of people arriving and staying in the country, mostly on temporary visas.<\/p>\n
Net overseas migration, or Nom, surged following the end of Covid-era lockdowns, peaking at an annual pace of 556,000 people in September 2023 after turning negative two years earlier.<\/p>\n
While well down on those peaks, Nom remains above the roughly 250,000 run rate leading into the pandemic, and above the government\u2019s target of 225,000.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.03 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Mass migration in Australia an \u2018absurd claim\u2019: Burke<\/p>\n Tony Burke starts his address trying to dispel some of the most \u201cabsurd\u201d claims in the migration debate \u2013 starting with the claim that Australia is a nation of \u201cmass migration\u201d.<\/p>\n Burke tells the National Press Club that there\u2019s one simple fact to counter that:<\/p>\n double quotation markBefore the pandemic, the intergenerational report had the projections for where Australia\u2019s population would be by 2030\u201331. When we get to that point, we\u2019ll be 700,000 people smaller than what had been projected before the pandemic.<\/p>\n He then takes aim at claims that backpacker and PALM scheme visas don\u2019t form part of the net migration number \u2013 most of them do. He last last year backpackers made up 48,000 of the net overseas migration figure.<\/p>\n double quotation markThere\u2019s almost an approach, sort of the NOM version of nimbyism \u2013 I won\u2019t try to invent the NOMbyism word. It\u2019s a concept where people say they want immigration numbers to go down, but they don\u2019t want to mention this visa class and they immediately want to rule out all the ones that they would rely on.<\/p>\n Despite international students being targeted by the government in its migration changes, Burke acknowledges that the cohort are incredibly important to the economy.<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t say One Nation<\/a> he\u2019s clearly having a crack at their policy.<\/p>\n double quotation markThere\u2019s a whole section of the economy in the cities that is only there because we have an important export industry in international students. Drastic cuts, wherever you make them, hurt the economy in every part, in every area. And what we need to make sure of is anything we do to temper migration needs to take account of the economic costs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.43 EDT<\/p>\n Labor to cut visas for international students\u2019 families; new conditions on visitor visas<\/p>\n The government will cut off pathways for international students to remain in Australia, and crack down on individuals living in Australia without a visa, under its new migration plan.<\/p>\n Tony Burke is unveiling the plan \u2013 which won\u2019t decrease the current targets for net overseas migration but will help the government ensure that the numbers won\u2019t go above the target.<\/p>\n Burke says the government will enforce new compliance messages to make sure people without valid visas leave the country, as well prevent international students visa hopping, and restrict their ability to bring family over to Australia while they study.<\/p>\n Dodgy migration agents who support visa applications without merit will also be targeted.<\/p>\n There will also be changes to the working holidaymaker visa, which will see a ballot system introduced for the years two and three where there will be a requirement to work in regional areas.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.38 EDT<\/p>\n Students should stay in school, not go to Hanson protest, Carroll says<\/p>\n The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, was also asked about this afternoon\u2019s national student walkout against Pauline Hanson.<\/p>\n He said:<\/p>\n double quotation markStudents want to change the world. The best place is to be in school \u2013 and getting an education, coming out and following it through is the best way you can change the world. I\u2019m hurt by Pauline Hanson\u2019s comments. At least Andrew Hastie calls out her comments. Jess Wilson is still to call out any comments that Pauline Hanson\u2019s made. And whether its family violence, the prime minister\u2019s mother, the attack on Indigenous Australians, leadership is calling out the awful, hurtful comments that Pauline Hanson has made.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.40 EDT<\/p>\n Big Build royal commission \u2018toughest\u2019 in Victoria’s history, premier says The Victorian premier, Ben Carroll, has held a press conference with the head of the police union, Wayne Gatt, to announce that if Labor is re-elected, it will invest $10m in Bluehub, a mental health service for police officers.<\/p>\n Carroll has spent much of the week spruiking crime-related election commitments, including opening a new police academy in the western suburbs and introducing Jack\u2019s Law<\/a>, which will give police powers to stop and search anyone for knives using handheld metal detectors.<\/p>\n But most of the questions this morning focused on the royal commission into allegations of corruption on Big Build sites, which will hold its first public hearing next week. Carroll described the inquiry as the \u201ctoughest royal commission in Victoria\u2019s history\u201d. He went on:<\/p>\n double quotation markNobody and nothing is off limits \u2013 the power to compel people, the power to compel information. Also working alongside the royal commission, a special prosecutor, not waiting for a report, doing the work they need to do straight away for any criminality that is aired, and that is what we will focus on.<\/p>\n Asked whether a witness list would soon be published, he said that was \u201ctotally up to the royal commissioner\u201d.<\/p>\n Carroll also said the matter of whether the government would cover current or previous MPs\u2019 legal bills was being \u201cworked through\u201d.<\/p>\n double quotation markThose decisions will be taken and made in appropriate course of time and action.<\/p>\n Victorian police minister Paul Edbrooke (left) and premier Ben Carroll speak in Melbourne. Photograph: James Ross\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.34 EDT<\/p>\n Got a question for us? <\/p>\n As we settle down at the National Press Club to shortly hear from the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, we want to hear from you.<\/p>\n Do you have a burning question about Labor\u2019s migration plan or any other political issue?<\/p>\n Send your questions to Politicsreally@theguardian.com<\/a> and we\u2019ll be answering them in tomorrow\u2019s newsletter.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget to sign up to the <\/a>Politics, really<\/a> newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.28 EDT<\/p>\n Labor \u2018still doesn\u2019t understand how badly this has gone wrong\u2019: Greens<\/p>\n Continued from our last post \u2026<\/p>\n On Tuesday night the government circulated an amendment to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner Bill<\/a> to establish an \u201cescalation pathway\u201d for the mistakes made by the tool\u2019s algorithm.<\/p>\n A statement from Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne said this change \u201cis not to change the broken algorithm, or restore the ability for clinicians to override its mistakes. The amendment merely provides for an additional review pathway to the department to alter decisions\u201d.<\/p>\n Allman-Payne said:<\/p>\n double quotation markThis tool was deployed without adequate testing or consultation, and yet was immediately given absolute power to decide older people\u2019s care needs. The implementation of the tool has been a disaster, but this amendment shows Labor still doesn\u2019t understand how badly this has gone wrong.<\/p>\n Simply adding another review pathway is a wholly inadequate response by the minister to address an assessment tool that is fundamentally unfit for purpose.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.22 EDT<\/p>\n Greens accuse government of failing to fix aged care algorithm The Greens have slammed the government\u2019s proposed fix to an aged care assessment tool that is driven by an algorithm, and which has been revealed to be systemically under-assessing the support at home needs of older Australians.<\/p>\n Guardian Australia revealed through freedom of information<\/a> that within days of the algorithm being rolled out as part of the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), state and territory health departments were logging hundreds of cases of under-assessment old older Australians and sharing concerns about the impact this was having on hospital discharge times and the deterioration of health conditions.<\/p>\n On Thursday Guardian Australia reported <\/a>that after months of assurances to aged care assessment organisations that if the algorithm got a funding decision wrong, clinicians would have the power and discretion to correct the outcome, the department went back on its word at the 11th hour leading to internal turmoil<\/a>.<\/p>\n Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.23 EDT<\/p>\n Asylum seeker work restrictions \u2018manufacture humanitarian crisis overnight\u2019<\/p>\n The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) has warned that Labor\u2019s proposed restrictions on asylum seekers\u2019 work rights would \u201cmanufacture a humanitarian crisis overnight\u201d.<\/p>\n The warning comes amid reports the government is considering new limits on the work rights of asylum seekers on temporary visas, including those appealing visa refusals.<\/p>\n According to modelling by the ASRC, removing work rights in Victoria alone could create at least $1m a week in additional support needs for asylum support organisations.<\/p>\n In a statement, ASRC head of advocacy Ogy Simic said:<\/p>\n double quotation markTaking away work rights means taking people who are working, paying rent and supporting their families, stripping away their income and forcing them to rely on charities that are already stretched just to survive.<\/p>\n You cannot tell someone they are allowed to remain in Australia while their case is reviewed, but deny them the ability to earn enough to eat or keep a roof over their head. That is a recipe for poverty, homelessness and exploitation.<\/p>\n People seeking safety should not have their lives and livelihoods used as political footballs. Playing politics with people\u2019s ability to work, feed their families and keep a roof over their heads has devastating real-world consequences.<\/p>\n The answer is simple: let people work, support themselves and contribute to their communities.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.19 EDT<\/p>\n Queensland government pressed for power impact of datacentre deal<\/p>\n Queensland\u2019s premier has refused to release any modelling done about the power impact of its new datacentre deal with AI giant Anthropic.<\/p>\n The company \u2013 which develops the large language model Claude \u2013 yesterday announced it would invest in the first stage of a $31bn planned datacentre west of Dalby, advertised as the country\u2019s largest.<\/p>\n The opposition leader, Steven Miles, used question time this morning to press David Crisafulli for any modelling done on the project\u2019s effect on household prices.<\/p>\n Crisafulli said the government\u2019s \u201ccarve out\u201d from commonwealth rules requiring datacentre developers to invest in new renewable power generation and to instead use the state\u2019s ageing coal fleet would mean \u201cthat they don\u2019t suck up power, and that they actually drive down electricity prices\u201d.<\/p>\n David Crisafulli. Photograph: Darren England\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.11 EDT<\/p>\n Force big tech to report AI incidents, says Kate Chaney<\/p>\n Kate Chaney has called for the government to force AI companies to share information on their advanced frontier models and report critical incidents.<\/p>\n Chaney and other crossbenchers are also calling for a tenfold increase in funding for the government\u2019 AI safety institute so it can have a bigger role in local regulation and global negotiations. She told reporters in Canberra:<\/p>\n double quotation markI have spoken to the government about it and they have not dismissed it out of hand \u2026 If we want to be taken seriously as a voice at that table, we just need to scale up.<\/p>\n She\u2019ll be making more recommendations from the parliament\u2019s joint committee on AI, which closed for submissions today. It will have six Labor members, four from the Coalition<\/a>, Chaney and David Pocock but no Greens members. Greens senator David Shoebridge, who has been calling for a pause on datacentre development, said the party\u2019s exclusion was \u201cdeeply disappointing\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"Benita](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789613173_763_Benita_Kolovos.png\")
Benita Kolovos<\/p>\n![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789613174_217_Tom_McIlroy.png\")
Tom McIlroy<\/p>\n![\"Melissa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789613175_887_Melissa_Davey2.png\")
Melissa Davey<\/p>\nMelissa Davey<\/p>\n![\"Achol](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789613175_706_Achol_Arok,_L.png\")
Achol Arok<\/p>\n![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789613176_577_Andrew_Messenger.png\")
Andrew Messenger<\/p>\n![\"Luca](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789613177_966_Luca_Ittimani.png\")
Luca Ittimani<\/p>\n