Key facts
- Senator Andrew Bragg proposed capping net overseas migration at 180,000 annually.
- Bragg linked the migration target to addressing Australia's housing shortage and suggested reducing international students, working holidaymakers, and unskilled workers.
- Several Liberal colleagues, including Opposition Leader Angus Taylor and Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson, have not publicly backed Bragg's specific figure.
- Bragg stated that lower-income earners should accept substandard housing to increase the number of dwellings built.
- Housing advocacy groups criticized Bragg's suggestion, emphasizing that quality housing is a minimum standard, not a luxury.
Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg has advocated for capping net overseas migration at 180,000 annually, arguing it is necessary to address Australia's housing shortfall. He suggested this target could be achieved through modest reductions in international students, working holidaymakers, and some unskilled workers. Bragg also controversially stated that lower-income Australians should accept poorly built housing as a trade-off for increasing the number of dwellings built nationally.
Bragg's proposals have drawn criticism and caution from within his own party. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has publicly stated that Bragg needs to stay on script, while Nationals Leader Matt Canavan has ruled out cuts to visas for rural workers. Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson previously made comments suggesting people could accept lower housing quality.
Housing advocacy groups, including the Australian Council of Social Services and Everybody's Home, have strongly criticized Bragg's stance, arguing that accessibility, energy efficiency, and basic liveability are minimum standards and not luxuries. They contend that building more poor-quality homes does not solve the housing crisis but rather allows developers to profit from it.