Home Affairs and Immigration has a new minister. After a cabinet reshuffle, Tony Burke has taken on the Home Affairs and Immigration portfolios. Tony Burke will replace Clare O’Neil who previously held the Home Affairs portfolio and Andrew Giles who was the Minister for Immigration.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stressed that the change was purely strategic, aimed at strengthening the government’s front bench and not a reflection of the performance of ministers Giles and O’Neill. However, many believe Tony Burke may have been brought in to fix the problems present within the Government when it comes to immigration in a bid to build momentum heading into the next election.
There is also speculation that Prime Minister Albanese made the change after months of political controversy in the wake of the High Court ruling late last year that led to the release of approximately 150 former detainees from indefinite immigration detention. Some of these former detainees had committed serious crimes with some re-offending once released. The Albanese Government came under fire by the opposition and the media.
Opposition leader, Peter Dutton has suggested the reshuffle indicates trouble within the government and the Prime Minister’s lack of confidence in most of his ministry.
The portfolio has now been moved out of cabinet to its original place in the ministry.
More About Tony Burke
Tony Burke is currently the member for Watson in New South Wales which is considered one of the most multicultural electorates in Australia.
In addition to his Home Affairs and Immigration portfolio, Tony Burke is also the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Cyber Security, Minister for the Arts and the Leader of the House.
He grew up in a small business family and later ran his own small business and worked as the local organiser for retail workers. His ministerial portfolios to date have reflected his commitment to working people, the environment and the arts.
While in Government, he has been responsible for resolving 100 years of conflict in the Murray-Darling Basin, placing Tasmania’s forests on the World Heritage List, implementing the comprehensive Creative Australia Arts and Culture policy and making the second-largest conservation decision in the history of the planet by protecting the oceans.
He has also led the fight against racial hate speech with the iconic Walk for Respect in the heart of his community in Lakemba.
What Impact Will Tony Burke Have on Immigration?
Tony Burke has always supported immigration and coming from a multicultural electorate and his support of multiculturalism it makes sense that he will most likely have a positive approach to immigration. However, this combined with his past performance indicates that while he is pro-immigration he may not be as diligent as required in this role.
Tony Burke served as Immigration Minister in the final days of the Rudd Government. In the 80 days he held the role, 83 illegal boats holding 6,634 illegal immigrants entered Australia’s borders. He came under scrutiny at the time, and it seems he may continue to be held under the microscope in his current role as Minister for Immigration.
55% of Tony Burke’s electorate were born overseas and many have speculated that he is not only sensitive to local pressure but will also be perceived as in a position of power to grant favours for his constituents, i.e. those who want to bring their family to Australia from overseas.
Minister Burke has also been criticised recently by the Coalition who suggested he couldn’t be trusted to conduct immigration checks due to pressure from Muslim voters in his seat. Tony Burke squashed these claims emphasising the importance of security checks and the diligence the Labor Government would exercise when it came to these security checks.
Many believe that he will be quite lenient when it comes to immigration in terms of allowing all who want to enter Australia to obtain a visa. Immigration is crucial to Australia’s growth and while immigrants are welcome, there are processes in place to ensure fairness to those wanting to migrate and that the security of Australia is upheld.
While the next Federal Election is not due until late 2025, there is speculation an election could be called as early as October this year.
To learn more about immigration, contact the experienced team of registered migration agents at Visa Solutions Australia. Book a consultation.
