ACT Treasurer Chris Steel: cutting migrants will leave region short of nurses
ACT warns Coalition migration cuts could leave Canberra short of healthcare and education workers.
Chris Steel pushed back Wednesday against the Coalition's plan. The Coalition wants to slash net overseas migration to 100,000 annually for its first two years.
Canberra's hospitals and aged care homes rely on migrant workers to fill gaps. International education is worth about $1.4 billion a year to the Territory.
It accounts for nearly half of all university students there. Steel said cutting international students' chances to stay after graduation would hurt Canberra's universities.
It would also hurt training programs. Chief Minister Andrew Barr has told the Commonwealth that skilled migration is critical to Canberra's knowledge economy.
It is also essential for key services.
- 100,000
- Target net migration annually
- 160,000
- Year 4 target migration level
- $1.4 billion
- International education annual value
- 240,000
- International students to be cut to
Why it mattersIf migrants cannot fill nursing and aged care gaps, Canberra's hospitals and care homes will struggle to function. Cutting international students also risks shutting down a major regional economic engine.
AustraliaCanberra faces acute staff shortages in healthcare and aged care if migration cuts go ahead. Other Australian regions with large international student populations face similar pressure.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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