Migration Policy Overhaul Sparks Ministerial Evasion and Farmer Backlash

The Labor government has announced a plan to cut nearly 40,000 backpacker visas per year and to increase enforcement against visa overstayers. When pressed eight times on a radio interview about whether the impact on wages or the broader economy had been modelled, Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth replied that she was “not really able to comment” and referred the question to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. Rishworth also said the policy represented “important and sensible changes” contributing to a “sustainable” migration approach, but declined to confirm any modelling of wage effects for domestic workers or farmers.

The Sydney Morning Herald

The proposal does not lower the current net overseas migration target of 245,000 people by June next year, nor the 225,000 target for mid-2028. Instead, it seeks to achieve those figures while reducing backpacker visa allocations: second-year places would fall from 57,000 to 45,000, and third-year places from 31,000 to 5,000. One Nation advocates a net migration figure of 130,000 with a “negative migration” phase, while the Coalition proposes a target slightly below 170,000. The National Farmers’ Federation and the Coalition argue the cuts could raise food prices and hurt primary producers.

The Sydney Morning Herald

Ben Seton-Stewart, general manager of Kyalite Pistachios, said his orchard near Swan Hill depends on a reliable seasonal workforce to meet tight pruning, harvesting and processing windows. Although his operation has shifted toward labour-hire arrangements, he noted that seasonal workers also spend money locally, providing broader economic benefits. Zac Herman, a full-time pistachio farm worker in the Riverina district of NSW, echoed the reliance on migrant labour year-round for the harvest.

The Sydney Morning Herald

• “Amanda Rishworth is the employment minister, yet she can’t answer a basic question about the impact of her government’s own policy on Australian wages,” — Jane Hume, opposition employment spokeswoman

The Sydney Morning Herald