National Press Club – Address by the Hon Tony Burke MP
MP Canberra, ACT, Oct 15, 2025 Attended by Fred Molloy, Registered Migration Agent.
National Press Club – Address by the Hon Tony Burke MP
Canberra, ACT, Oct 15, 2025
Attended by Fred Molloy, Registered Migration Agent.
On Wed 15th October I attended the Honorable Minister Tony Burkes speech at the National Press Club in Canberra. The Minister has vast portfolio of Home Affairs, The Arts, Cyber Security and Minister for Immigration & Citizenship. I was hoping to get the next instalment of changes to the Labour Party’s Migration Review, but the speech was heavily focused on the Ministers Cyber Portfolio. However, I will focus on the Immigration related matters.
Labor’s approach to Home Affairs:
One roof, joined-up decisions: Immigration remains within the same department as national security, Border Force and AUSTRAC. While much of the speech was cyber-heavy, the structure matters for us because it enables faster, cross-portfolio decisions on things like fraud, money laundering and visa integrity.
Not securitising multiculturalism: Alongside that, the Office of Multicultural Affairs is positioned to ensure engagement with communities is about inclusion and cohesion—not treating every immigration matter as a security issue.
The four pillars
The Minister framed Home Affairs around four simple principles that also set expectations for our visa system:
Be safe
Feel safe
Be welcomed
Feel at home
For migration policy, this reads as: a rules-based system that protects the community and genuinely welcomes those selected—so newcomers can belong.
Social cohesion & the words we use
The Minister stressed “our language matters.” Public debate should be fact-based, not divisive.
Expect closer scrutiny of visitors/speakers whose stated purpose is to incite discord (i.e., harm, disruption or bigotry). Visa refusals/cancellations on this ground will continue.
Practical integrity changes that touch immigration
VEVO access expansion: Financial institutions will gain targeted access to VEVO when they suspect mule accounts or fraud. This is a narrow, purpose-based data check aimed at stopping exploitation of departed students’ accounts and similar scams.
Why this matters: Banks will be better able to flag suspicious activity linked to visa status, which should reduce exploitation and speed up disruption of criminal networks.
Visa cancellations: the emerging stance
The Minister described cancellation as a “test of character, not a test of criminality.”
Domestic & family violence (DFV): A more conservative approach is being taken—even where matters fall short of mandatory cancellation thresholds. The clear signal: erring on the side of caution to protect victim-survivors and the community.
Inciting discord: Expect refusals/cancellations where an applicant’s purpose is to inflame division.
The numbers debate (NOM) needs honesty
We need a transparent, public conversation about Net Overseas Migration (NOM)—including the pandemic bulge (cohorts arriving at once, visa expiries pushed out).
The Minister noted a ~40% drop in NOM this year from the post-pandemic high.
If the Opposition argues for deeper cuts, the government’s challenge back is fair: be specific about which visa classes, and then explain how you’ll staff hospitals, classrooms, construction sites and farms, and how public services would be funded (taxes, re-prioritisation, or both).
Skills, housing, and the real economy
Tailor migration to national needs and ensure a “fit for purpose” system—that means aligning intake to housing supply and skill shortages.
AUKUS = regional pressures: Expect particular demand in WA and SA as higher-paid defence roles pull Australians across and backfilling is needed.
Restoring manufacturing: Migration settings need to back real skills on the ground, not just headline numbers.
Skills recognition
Skills recognition to be easier. This is currently in stakeholder review. For many clients, faster and clearer recognition pathways could unlock eligibility or shorten processing trajectories (watch this space).
Consistency with recent messages
Much of the tone and some lines echoed Assistant Minister Julian Hill’s remarks at the MIA conference in Melbourne: welcome migrants, build social cohesion, target skills, and keep the system practical and humane.
What this means for clients & employers
Expect firmer character-based cancellation decisions, especially around DFV and incitement of discord. Maintain spotless conduct records and be mindful of online activity and events.
VEVO checks by banks (in suspected fraud cases) may tighten financial verification—keep your bank details secure and never hand over accounts to third parties.
Skills recognition reforms could open or speed up skilled pathways—prepare evidence now (qualifications, detailed employment references, licensing).
Employers in WA/SA and construction nationwide should plan early recruitment and sponsorship strategies as AUKUS and housing builds intensify demand.
Students and education providers: capacity will be tied more tightly to student housing—compliance and genuine-student evidence will matter even more.
Final word
The Minister’s speech wasn’t a migration package drop, but the direction is clear: integrity + cohesion + targeted skills, with immigration tailored to national needs and a system that helps newcomers feel at home. I’ll keep tracking the skills-recognition review and any follow-on measures affecting student, skilled and employer-sponsored pathways.
