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Australia’s migration policy reignited fierce debate in Parliament and across the nation this week after large anti-immigration rallies drew both neo-Nazi groups and mainstream demonstrators, prompting political leaders to trade accusations over the causes of the housing crisis and the meaning of national unity.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said while she was “sickened” by images of neo-Nazis confronting the Victorian premier during the weekend marches, migration was having a clear impact on Australians’ quality of life.
“It’s lower than what the government has stated because what the government has stated is putting pressures in every corner of this country on infrastructure, on housing and on our way of life,” Ley told reporters, declining to directly answer questions about extremist involvement in the protests.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese avoided responding directly to Ley’s comments, but Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the rallies in a Senate speech, warning against scapegoating migrants for wider social and economic challenges.
“This is not the Australia we know and this is not the Australia we live in,” Wong said. “Neo-Nazis and anti-immigration rallies are not who we are. These are not Australian values.”
Wong, whose family heritage spans Malaysia, China and South Australia’s early settlers, said Australia’s migrant history should be celebrated. “This is the Australia we must protect, and this is the Australia we must nurture,” she said.
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Coalition Links Migration to Housing Strain
The debate comes amid mounting public concern about housing affordability and infrastructure strain. Shadow Defence Industry Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price linked the crisis directly to migration levels, saying ordinary Australians were paying the price.
“There are concerns around migration in this country, and rightly so,” Price said in an interview on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing. “At the moment, we are suffering without the appropriate infrastructure in place. There’s pressure on services and availability and, ultimately, pressure on families.”
Price said she believed the “vast majority” of Australians wanted migration reduced to a “point that is healthy for our country.” She argued the Albanese government’s policies were deliberately encouraging migrants who would lean toward Labor politically.
“Absolutely,” Price said when asked if she thought Labor was running a migration program to shore up votes. “This is Labor. Basically, it’s power at any cost.”
Labor has consistently rejected claims that its migration program is politically motivated, maintaining that its intake is non-discriminatory and designed to meet economic needs.
Condemnation of Extremism
The weekend rallies, which drew thousands nationwide, were marred by neo-Nazi groups taking prominent roles, particularly in Melbourne. Price, who wore an Australian flag in the Senate during her remarks, said she “utterly condemned” extremist involvement but insisted most demonstrators were motivated by pro-Australian sentiment.
“I know the vast majority of Australians that were there over the weekend did not want them to be hijacking what ultimately was a pro-Australian march,” she said. “Extremism does concern me deeply in this country, whether it’s the acts of the neo-Nazis or those who carry the ISIS flag and support entities such as Hamas.”
Price said both right-wing and left-wing extremism were damaging social cohesion. “For every action, there’s a reaction. We’ve got extremism on both sides, which is dangerous, particularly for those of us in the middle who want calm, who want peace, who want unity in this country,” she said.
Push to Criminalize Flag Desecration
Price used National Flag Day to call for new laws making desecration of the Australian flag a criminal offence. Draped in the flag while speaking in Parliament, she argued that protecting the national symbol was a matter of respect for veterans and unity.
“I think it’s a deep insult to those individuals who fought for our freedoms, particularly so,” she said. “We don’t need any more division than what we’re currently experiencing.”
Asked about extremists using the flag during rallies, Price said Australians should “reclaim the flag” from both far-right and far-left groups. “It shouldn’t deter Australians, who genuinely love this country, from being able to be proud of our Australian flag,” she said.
Defence Spending and Foreign Policy
The interview also touched on international security as Price backed increasing defence spending to at least 3% of gross domestic product, higher than current coalition commitments.
“We are now no longer safe from missiles that can reach us here in Australia,” Price said, citing China’s military buildup. “We do need to invest in our defence spending for those reasons.”
She condemned former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews for appearing at a Chinese military parade in a private capacity, where he was photographed alongside authoritarian leaders.
“It is utterly disgraceful that a former premier of this country should be standing with some of the world’s worst dictators,” she said.
Net Zero and Party Debate
The coalition remains divided over climate policy, with Price joining colleagues pushing to abandon Australia’s net zero commitments.
“I support the view of the Country Liberal Party, which is to abandon net zero because of the way that it is destroying our economy and destroying the lives of regional Australians,” she said.
She agreed with senior party figures who said the coalition must clarify its climate position within months. “Australians are looking to us to understand what our position is, and the sooner we deliver that, the better that’s going to be,” she said.
A Nation at a Crossroads
The government has yet to release updated permanent migration intake numbers, leaving the politically charged issue unresolved. With protests spilling into the streets, leaders from both sides are under pressure to balance economic needs with social cohesion.
The Department of Home Affairs has been asked to respond to Price’s claims but has not yet provided comment.
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