An immigration lesson for ignorant Australian journalists

Friday 18 September 2026

Several Australian journalists and economists have claimed this week that One Nation’s sensible proposal to reduce the stock of temporary migrants back to pre-pandemic levels would create skills shortages and worsen population ageing.

The following Tweet from journalist Hugh Riminton encapsulates this way of thinking:

The argument is as asinine as it is ignorant.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.