A punch-up has developed over at Fairfax over a plan proposed by Senator David Leyonhjelm to establish a fee-based immigration system, whereby immigrants would pay a certain amount, say $50,000, to receive Australian residency.
The scheme is currently being examined by the Productivity Commission (PC), but has been panned by a wide range of interests, including federal government agencies, the business lobby and ethnic groups, who are labeling it a retrograde step that would threaten social cohesion, create a “bidding war” and disadvantage the nation in the global skills market.
