Values, numbers and borders: The Coalition’s migration pitch under the spotlight

We person chosen not to contiguous this interrogation with the Coalition’s migration spokesperson, Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonno Duniam, arsenic a narrative, but to let it to stand mostly arsenic it occurred. Questions and responses stay arsenic adjacent to verbatim arsenic imaginable to sphere their archetypal wording and tone.

Context: The Coalition’s migration reset

On April 14, Coalition Leader Angus Taylor, speaking astatine the Menzies Research Centre, launched the ‘Coalition’s Australian Values Migration Plan‘.

He acceptable retired 5 observations connected Australian argumentation settings, covering globalisation and manufacture protection, defence preparedness successful a much contested planetary environment, multiculturalism and κοινωνικά cohesion, vigor policy, and the expanded relation of authorities during the pandemic.

His third observation—on migration and multiculturalism—is the astir politically charged. It seeks to reframe long-standing bipartisan approaches to migration and nationalist identity, distilling the connection that “values are too debased and numbers are too high”.

The involution comes arsenic the Coalition hardens its presumption connected migration amid pressures implicit housing, infrastructure and services, and, according to Labor and critics, rising support for One Nation.

A resurgent One Nation was until past week starring the Coalition astatine the polls.

Senator Jonno Duniam with erstwhile PM John Howard, astatine the Menzies Research Centre, motorboat of the ‘Coalition’s Australian Values Migration Plan’. Photo: Facebook

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating, ever a pugilist, said: “The Liberal Party, battling an utmost version of itself – One Nation – has again fallen backmost to its default governmental policy: racism.”

Australia remains a migrant federation with a long-established multicultural framework. The re-emergence of a values-driven migration statement raises questions astir why this communicative is being re-ignited now, what is meant by “Australian values”, and whether the Coalition’s presumption risks unsettling a broadly bipartisan colony connected multiculturalism.

Labor has also, astatine times, played to migration anxieties. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, during visits to Western Sydney successful 2011–2012, acknowledged concerns astir colonisation maturation and migration pressures. Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, successful his relation arsenic ACTU President, argued that migration levels and creation should bespeak economic, labour, and civic needs.

Within this discourse sits Jonno Duniam. If the Coalition forms authorities astatine the adjacent election, helium will beryllium liable for balancing borderline security, nationalist cohesion, and the party’s historical support for multiculturalism.

At contented is whether this statement reflects a effect to genuine risks successful a much unstable planetary environment, oregon a governmental effect to voter anxieties astir change, identity, and nationalist direction.

Jonno Duniam, Federal Shadow Minister for Home Affairs – the afloat Neos Kosmos interview

Senator Jonno Duniam astatine a commemoration for the victims of the Hannukkah Bondi massacre. Photo: Supplied

Migration and Multiculturalism: A Compatibility Test

Neos Kosmos: Is your presumption antithetic to what we, arsenic a assemblage that played a relation successful processing multiculturalism, understand arsenic the bipartisan argumentation connected multiculturalism?

Jonno Duniam: Strong migration argumentation and multiculturalism are not mutually exclusive. We person to judge that when radical participate a country, they bring with them portion of their culture, their views connected what’s close and wrong, and their faith. Over time, arsenic much radical travel in, that does change the cloth of society and our culture.

What’s bully astir our state is everything we person built up implicit the past mates of 100 years—while acknowledging a past that predates European arrival. In terms of what Australia is today, it is the effect of cultures from crossed the world contributing to society.

What we’re talking astir with our migration argumentation is preserving what is bully and strong astir our society. It’s not astir preventing radical from coming present and bringing their culture, but making sure we don’t suffer what’s bully astir our state and civilization today.

What are these ‘Australian Values’?

Neos Kosmos: Angus Taylor is talking astir “Australian values”. These aren’t uniquely Australian. One could reason they were framed thousands of years agone successful Athens, then reaffirmed done British, American, French and aboriginal revolutions. What precisely is unique astir “Australian values”?

Jonno Duniam: We person the Australian Values Statement. Anyone applying for a visa signs it, and it outlines what we telephone Australian values—respect for the regularisation of law, democracy, institutions, and predetermination outcomes.

You’re right, and recognition where recognition is due, they’re not unique to Australia. Many countries stock these values. But they are cardinal to why Australia works arsenic it does. People mightiness telephone them Western values, but the champion way to picture them present is Australian values.

When radical travel present and abide by our laws, respect antiauthoritarian institutions, enactment respectfully successful elections, and respect freedoms—faith, speech, and views—our state continues to relation arsenic it has successfully for centuries. That’s what we want to preserve.

The cardinal constituent is that these values indispensable beryllium enforceable. Not conscionable something connected paper—if you’re not going to abide by them, you don’t beryllium here.

Extremism, homegrown and foreign

Neos Kosmos: Look astatine the caller tragedy involving Desi Freeman and so-called “sovereign citizens” intelligibly not successful enactment with Australian values and yet helium was calved here.

Jonno Duniam: It is tragic that we bash person radical successful this state who perpetrate crimes successful the way someone similar Desi Freeman did, and thank God the instrumentality caught up with him and helium was dealt with appropriately.

It is horrible that this occurs successful Australia successful 2025–2026—it’s horrendous—but astatine the extremity of the day, helium was dealt with. We person to person a system that does not permission thing to chance.

Let maine accidental that implicit Easter, we had a hatred preacher* [Mizanur Rahman Azhari] travel into this state connected a government-issued visa. This idiosyncratic from Bangladesh was saying things similar “Hitler dished retired divine punishment to the Jews” and that “Jews are a stain connected society”. It doesn’t take overmuch to bash a speedy Google of his background.

He came present connected a speaking what was called a “Legacy of Faith” speaking tour of Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra to spread antisemitism. There is not an Australian value that would ever align with that.

Yet this antheral was granted a visa and allowed to enter. After it was picked up, the curate did the close happening and cancelled his visa—good connected him—but the information helium got done successful the archetypal spot is very concerning.

So we person holes successful our system, and that’s what we’re talking astir here.

Community bureau and migration responsibility

Neos Kosmos: It was really the section Bangladeshi assemblage that alerted authorities. Doesn’t that amusement strong values within migrant communities alternatively than a problem?

Jonno Duniam: Those successful the Bangladeshi community—whether calved present oregon migrants—are present for what is bully astir this country. They didn’t travel present to let someone similar that to upend things.

All Australians, whether calved present oregon similar maine with generations here, oregon similar my wife who came arsenic a governmental exile from a communist dictatorship successful Albania, are seeking a amended life. The Bangladeshi assemblage you notation and its section Australian Bangladeshi media, arsenic you pointed out, wants to support what is bully astir Australia.

Policy, authorities and One Nation

Neos Kosmos: Is this conscionable wedge politics—ramping up anxiousness successful taste communities? Is it astir stopping the nonaccomplishment of crushed to a resurgent One Nation?

Jonno Duniam: One Nation tin accidental and bash what they like—that’s got thing to bash with us. Our policies are grounded successful the world of the problems we’re facing, and we’re putting guardant solutions.

We’ve got a program to try to hole the system. The migration system is failing. We’re not dealing with visa overstayers, and we’re not decently vetting radical earlier they arrive.

The hatred preacher we spoke about—the 1 the Bangladeshi assemblage flagged—how did helium get through? I could Google his lectures and spot helium wasn’t someone we should beryllium letting in. That’s why this speech matters—about values, due vetting, and making sure those who interruption the rules aren’t accepted and are removed.

Vetting, κοινωνικά media and information risk

Neos Kosmos: How applicable is looking astatine κοινωνικά media?

Jonno Duniam: What we want to bash is empower ASIO, Home Affairs, the Australian Federal Police, and Border Force—give them the resources they request and nexus them up amended crossed agencies. They already work together successful some areas, but we want to strengthen that. On κοινωνικά media—people will accidental things you and I whitethorn not hold with. That’s portion of antiauthoritarian discourse.

Free speech vs transgression intent

Neos Kosmos: People often accidental utmost things connected κοινωνικά media, oregon criticise wide democracy, without being dangerous. People alteration implicit time. Even those calved oregon surviving successful Australia tin clasp atrocious ideas, look astatine similar Desi Freeman and the Bondi attackers who killed 15 people. The question is: however bash you find who is unsafe based connected κοινωνικά media vetting?

Jonno Duniam: You’re entitled to person views. But that’s very antithetic to saying you’ll travel to Australia to promote violence—overthrowing government, murdering politicians, oregon targeting specific groups. We’re talking astir behaviour that is transgression successful nature—offences already covered under transgression law. This isn’t astir targeting everyone indiscriminately. It’s a risk-based approach.

If you travel from a state similar Greece, you’re apt to beryllium fixed a greenish light. If you travel from a war-torn state oregon 1 where extremist oregon extremist views are mainstream, you’ll beryllium subject to a higher standard of vetting.

Risk, world and ‘common sense’

Neos Kosmos: People from war-torn places often travel precisely due to the fact that they want freedom.

Jonno Duniam: Of course—common consciousness has to travel into play. People marque those risk-based assessments.

Systems and accountability

Neos Kosmos: When you talk, there seems to beryllium small quality betwixt your presumption and the government’s. So however is your attack antithetic from existent assessments?

Jonno Duniam: The authorities says it does that—so, however does a hatred preacher get a visa to travel present and preach violence? Mistakes happen, but you’d anticipation to minimise them. If the Bangladeshi assemblage groups and its media, with constricted resources tin place these cases, however did the system miss them?

There was different hatred preacher the aforesaid week, lone stopped aft media attention. That points to a resourcing and coordination issue. We should purpose for the highest standard possible. When you person aggregate failures successful a abbreviated period, that’s a problem.

Multiculturalism, is it harmless under the Coalition

Neos Kosmos: Would a Coalition authorities proceed to support multiculturalism?

Jonno Duniam: Of course. Multiculturalism is simply a fact. You spot it successful Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart—people from antithetic cultures everywhere. The Coalition is not astir creating a homogeneous society. We observe diversity. People bring valuable contributions to this country. As Angus Taylor has said, migration has enriched communities—from determination towns to projects similar the Snowy Hydro Scheme. People brought their cultures while respecting the regularisation of instrumentality and antiauthoritarian systems, and it worked. That’s the point: multiculturalism and strong Australian values are not mutually exclusive.

*Note: Mizanur Rahman Azhari was successful Australia for a “Legacy of Faith” speaking tour successful Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra, his visa was revoked connected April 1, 2026. He was deported pursuing concerns regarding his past sermons, including praising Adolf Hitler arsenic “divine punishment” and calling Jews the “biggest terrorists successful the world”.