Following Tony Abbott’s election as Australia’s new Prime Minister over the weekend, the coming weeks and months could prove an interesting time for those hoping to one day call Australia home.
Abbott, the leader of the Conservative-Liberal coalition, cruised to power in the election, winning at least 88 of the 150 seats, and in doing so putting to put an end to six years of Labour government in the country.
While Abbott has long pledged to take a harder stance on asylum seekers, promising to turn away any boats carrying would-be refugees, some political analysts in the country believe that the new Prime Minister will also look to limit the flow of legal immigration as well.
Towards the end of their time in power, the Labour party began taking a progressively harder stance on those applying for temporary 457 visas, stating that too many foreign workers were being brought into the country to fill jobs Australian workers could do. It is widely felt that Abbott, who is well known for being a patriot who strongly believes in putting his country’s national interests first, could take further measures to limit the flow of immigration for the good of Australian workers.
However, any radical moves will prove unpopular with business leaders and industry groups, who have repeatedly stated over the past few months that foreign workers are essential to the continued growth of Australia’s economy.