One Nation MP admits party's migration target barely differs from Labor's

One Nation MP David Farley acknowledged on the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday that his party's net overseas migration target is "not too different" from the governing Labor party's figure once additional worker categories are included. This is the second time Farley has made such a claim — he was previously counselled privately by party leader Pauline Hanson after similar remarks.

One Nation, led by Hanson, has struggled to clearly define its migration policy, with inconsistent messaging over whether its stated figure refers to net overseas migration or permanent migration.

The numbers and exclusions

Farley, who holds the seat of Farrer, said the party's net overseas migration target remains 130,000, but this figure excludes skilled workers, backpackers, and labour from Pacific nations and Timor-Leste arriving under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. He said a minimum of 100,000 additional migrants would likely be needed to keep critical industries staffed, including roughly 40,000 Palm scheme workers and 70,000 skilled workers such as aged care nurses.

Farley argued the main difference from the government's approach was not the total number but where and in which sectors migrants work — he said they should be directed toward agriculture, engineering and mining rather than major cities.

Context

Net overseas migration reached 301,000 last financial year, and the government forecasts it falling to 245,000 the following year. The Albanese government is preparing changes to the migration system to meet its targets, though it cancelled a planned announcement amid internal disagreement. The opposition Coalition has also not released an exact figure, saying only it would be "well below 200,000".

In Farley's electorate, migrant labour is essential to meat processing and aged care, with more than two-thirds of workers in local slaughterhouses being migrants.