The migration strategy won’t silence Dutton but Labor is backing away from the feared Big Australia

‘It’s clear the home affairs minister, Clare O’Neil, and the immigration minister, Andrew Giles, are seizing the levers they have to restrict what the migration strategy describes as “back doors and side doors” into Australia.’ Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

When Labor announced a 35,000-place increase in permanent migration at the September 2022 jobs and skills summit, the Albanese government braced for “Big Australia” blowback.

But to the newly elected government’s surprise and delight, Peter Dutton agreed “we do need an increase in the migration numbers”.