One Nation pledges to slash immigration by 750,000

One Nation has committed to drastically cut current temporary visa holders under its net-negative migration policy, prompting swift criticism from the major parties.

International students would face the brunt of the cuts after party leader Pauline Hanson promised to cut 750,000 temporary visas over three years.

The Labor government and the opposition have propped up the economy through “mass migration”, according to Senator Hanson, who has faced intense criticism over comments made about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s late mother.

As parliament restarts in Canberra for the final sitting week for a month, One Nation is seeking to capitalise on a surge in momentum in opinion polls this year, which has seen the populist party emerge as a threat to many electorates held by the major parties.

“They couldn’t give a damn about the impact mass migration has had on everyday living standards of Australians,” Senator Hanson said of the major parties in a video to social media.

In a statement, she said universities would still be able to enrol more than 100,000 international students per year and the cut wouldn’t impact regional worker schemes.

The plan would aim to deliver three years of net-negative migration to bring the temporary migrant population down to levels not seen since 2017.

The proposal has already been slammed by the National Farmers’ Federation, which has warned of wide-reaching impacts if regional producers don’t have access to workers.

Coalition immigration spokesperson Jonathon Duniam told News24 he’s sceptical due to the lack of detail in the policy.

“I look at those numbers and I sort of wonder what works gone on behind the scenes to actually arrive at those numbers. How have they decided they’re the numbers they want to cut by?” he said.

It comes after weeks of speculation around the party’s migration policy, originally committing to an annual net overseas migration rate of 130,000 people.

Federal MP David Farley said there could be an extra 100,000 on top of that in August, outpacing the government’s own target of 225,000.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke delayed a National Press Club speech in August in which he was widely expected to announce migration cuts. It is understood the cabinet is still finalising plans.

Australia’s net overseas migration fell to 301,000 in 2025, which was a 45 per cent decrease from the post-Covid peak in 2023 and down 9 per cent from 2024.

Senator Hanson has come under fire for her personal attacks on Liberal MP Andrew Hastie and the prime minister’s late mother.

The coalition frontbencher and former SAS officer was referred to as a “traitor” in a One Nation cartoon and labelled a “wanker” by Senator Hanson.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s mother was then criticised by Senator Hanson for living in public housing for several decades, during a podcast appearance in February that re-emerged over the past week.

Labor cabinet minister Tanya Plibersek said Senator Hanson is picking on some of the most vulnerable people in the country.

“People who have ill health or disability for decades she says don’t deserve a roof over their head. I think that’s appalling, and she should apologise.”

One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce defended Senator Hanson’s comments.

“The premise of that question was, should people live in public housing forever? Which the answer is no, because we just don’t have enough,” Mr Joyce told channel 7 program Sunrise.