The Coalition has abandoned a key election promise to slash migration despite warnings that its crushing defeat was due to immigration policy, and will instead focus on wooing “multicultural communities.”
The new Opposition immigration spokesman, Queensland Liberal National Party Senator Paul Scarr, refused to recommit to former leader Peter Dutton’s pledge to cut net overseas migration to 160,000 – 100,000 lower than Labor’s target – despite calling it “considered and measured.”
Mr Scarr, who was appointed by Opposition leader Sussan Ley last week and regularly shares photos of himself pandering to immigrants, told The Australian in an interview that one of the Coalition’s goals was to “engage deeply and respectfully with all of our multicultural communities.”
“I have a firm view that many of the fundamental values of the Liberal Party resonate in many of our multicultural communities,” he said.
“But in order to achieve that outcome of connection with our multicultural communities, there needs to be a real focus, and I consider it a fundamental responsibility in terms of these portfolios, of engaging with those communities, spending time with the communities, and hearing their concerns.”
