MEDIA RELEASE 14 April 2026
Federal Member for Fisher, Andrew Wallace MP, has backed the Coalition’s Australian Values Migration Plan, saying it will restore integrity, rebuild confidence, and put Australians first.
Mr Wallace said Labor has lost control of the migration system, with numbers too high and standards too low.
“Since Labor came to power, Australia’s migration program has been in chaos,” Mr Wallace said.
“Numbers have been too high, with 1.4 million people arriving under Labor, standards have been too low, and Australians are feeling it through higher rents, housing pressure and stretched services.”
Mr Wallace said the Coalition’s plan will restore balance by putting Australian values back at the centre of migration policy.
“Coming to Australia is a privilege, not a right,” he said.
“If you want to live here, you must respect our values, obey our laws, and contribute to our nation. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be here.”
Mr Wallace said the plan delivers three clear reforms: putting Australian values first, shutting the door to system abuse, and showing a red light to radicals.
“This is about restoring integrity to the system, protecting Australians’ way of life, and ensuring migration works in our national interest,” he said.
The first tranche of reforms will make adherence to Australian values a legally enforceable condition of a visa, allowing visas to be refused or cancelled where those values are breached.
It will also crack down on abuse of the system, including stronger enforcement against unlawful non-citizens who have exhausted all legal avenues but remain in Australia.
“There are tens of thousands of people currently in Australia with no lawful right to be here,” Mr Wallace added.
“That undermines confidence in the entire system, and under a Coalition Government, it will be dealt with.”
Mr Wallace said the plan also strengthens national security by boosting screening processes and coordination across agencies.
“We will ensure that extremists and those who do not share our values are identified early and prevented from entering the country,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor said the Coalition’s plan would restore integrity and protect Australians’ way of life.
“We need to put Australian values first,” Mr Taylor said.
“The Coalition will protect Australians’ way of life and restore Australians’ living standards by reforming our migration system.”
Mr Wallace finished by adding, the reforms are the first step in a broader plan to fix a system Labor has allowed to drift.
“We are a proud migrant nation and will remain so, but we must have a system that is fair, sustainable, and in Australia’s national interest,” he said.
“To protect our way of life and restore Australians’ standard of living, we must reduce immigration numbers and lift migration standards.”
Further measures under the Australian Values Migration Plan will be announced in due course.
[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West – 0402 556 646 – Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
