After winning the 2019 Federal Election, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will lead the Coalition through its third consecutive term of Government in Australia and has already selected which Ministers will form the new Cabinet. While there were some changes in ownership across Ministerial portfolios, responsibilities for immigration and related policies in the new Cabinet remain mostly unchanged. David Coleman will retain his role Immigration Minister and the new Cabinet will be sworn in on Wednesday 29 May 2019.
Australia’s Immigration Minister and the new Cabinet | Post-election 2019
Under the new Cabinet, the below Ministers were re-appointed to the portfolios they held prior to the election. Assistant Minister, Jason Woods is an exception to this, as his role is a newly created position.
- Minister for Home Affairs – Mr Peter Dutton.
- Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs – Mr David Coleman.
- Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affair – Mr Jason Woods.
- Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure – Mr Alan Tudge.
Minister Roles and Responsibilities
It appears no changes have been made to the above Ministers’ roles – except Immigration Minister, David Coleman will now also manage ‘Migrant Services’ as a formal addition to his Immigration portfolio. The renewed focus on migrant support services seems to align with the Government’s $64.2 million budget allowance for social measures to facilitate cultural integration among migrant communities, as announced in the 2019 Federal Budget in April.
While David Coleman will largely be responsible for Australia’s immigration matters, policies are likely to be shaped in consultation with Peter Dutton and Alan Tudge. Peter Dutton will continue to manage Australian border security matters and Alan Tudge will manage the impact of population pressures on city infrastructure. Peter Dutton will also retain control over visa compliance checks, which are currently managed by the Australian Border Force.
Jason Woods will assist Immigration Minister, David Coleman in the newly created role as an Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs. The introduction of the role reflects the Government’s renewed focus on these portfolio responsibilities.
As the Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs portfolio will remain under the Home Affairs portfolio, David Coleman will not have a voice in Cabinet and immigration matters will continue to be represented by Peter Dutton. Alan Tudge will continue to have a voice in Cabinet on population and congestion-busting issues.
Continued focus on regional migration
Immigration plans announced by the Coalition over the past year are likely to progress following their re-election. Migrants will be encouraged to live and work in regional areas with the introduction of new regional visas in November. Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA’s) will also continue to be established across Australia to enable employers to more easily engage migrants in regional areas. You can read about the Government’s immigration plans for Australia over the next three years here.
Under the re-elected Government, the Opposition’s promises for uncapped and cheaper Temporary Parent Visas, greater regulation of labour market testing and skills assessment requirements, and an increase in the minimum wage for overseas workers are unlikely to take place. However, the election has provided a sounding board for these issues, and further debate and discussion on these matters could place pressure on the Government to consider alternative solutions.
Business Migration | Strategic Thinking
Interstaff will keep you updated on Australia’s immigration plans as they are announced by the Immigration Minister and Cabinet members. Our Registered Migration Agents specialise in skilled migration matters and would be happy to advise of your visa and sponsorship options. Simply contact our team of migration agents on +61 8 9221 3388 (or National Free Call 1800 449 858)or [email protected]
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