Pauline Hanson slams Labor government over claim to bring ‘one million migrants’ to Australia

Pauline Hanson has slammed the Labor government, claiming they want to bring in a million new migrants into Australia over the next four years.

In a post on X, the One Nation Leader said Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is “doubling down” and planning to allow more foreign nationals into Australia.

“Here’s the worst part. You can’t even trust them to stop at a million. This weak government has never once hit a migration target it set, not once in four years,” the X post said.

She went on to list the number of migrants who entered Australian since 2022.

“October 2022: Labor promised 235,000. 538,000 flooded in.

“May 2023: Labor promised 315,000. 429,000 flooded in.

“May 2024: Labor promised 260,000. 306,000 flooded in.

“December 2025: Labor promised 260,000. By May they’d moved their own goal posts to 295,000 before the year was even finished.”

She blamed the government for not being across their numbers and for contributing to the “worst housing” and “rental market” Australia has experienced.

“Labor’s immigration policy has overwhelmed Australia and sent us backwards. Enough is enough,” she said.

“So when Burke finally gives the speech his own cabinet blocked, here’s what he’s really announcing: another million people.”

Mr Burke was due to use a speech to the National Press Club last week to outline changes to Australia’s migration system last week, but postponed it at the last moment, amid reports of disagreement in cabinet.

On Monday, Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite said the numbers Senator Hanson cited were “incorrect”.

“Those numbers that Pauline Hanson refers to are net overseas migration numbers, which include Australian citizens who are living overseas and returning home,” he said.

“The better figure is permanent migration that we’ve set at 185,000 for the last couple of years and we’ve met that figure.

“That figure is based a lot on what employers tell us they need in terms of skilled migration and indeed the states and territories to run their health care system, their aged care system, their education system and their construction sector.”

However, Mr Thistlethwaite said Australia needed “to try and bring down the net overseas migration number”.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar cautioned against taking “draconian” measures when it comes to migration, saying a major downscale could worsen skills shortages hitting key sectors.

“We are seeing net overseas migration numbers trending down,” he said, referring to recent tweaks to student visas.

“We should continue on that pathway to get to sustainable levels.

“We don’t need to … shoot ourselves in the foot unnecessarily by doing something that is draconian and goes too far.”