Former Official Warns of Unintended Consequences of Skilled Visa Policy

Martin Parkinson, former head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, criticized Australia's current immigration policy regarding skilled worker visas and the region's status. He stated that the country's permanent migration intake has remained relatively stable at around 200,000 per year. However, the intake of temporary visas has seen an explosion, exceeding one million visas in the last financial year alone.

Parkinson argued that the current situation is not due to a single piece of legislation but a 'patchwork of shifting regulations.' He noted that there are now over three million temporary visa holders in Australia, comprising more than 16 per cent of the working-age population. He added that voters would not have supported the current system if it had been explicitly marketed as a guest worker program.