Prime Minister Anthony Albanese indicated in January 2022 – four months before the federal election – that his government would run a lower immigration policy if elected:

“His “train locals first” push comes a month after the Labor leader refused to back the government’s plan to bring permanent migration back to 160,000 a year”, The Australian reported at the time.
“Writing in The Australian on Wednesday, Mr Albanese says Australia has relied for too long on temporary migrant workers rather than training locals, as he accelerates Labor’s shift against high immigration levels since then prime minister Kevin Rudd backed a “big Australia” in 2009”.
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