Migrant Policy Reveals Familiar Playbook
Australia's Angus Taylor, a prominent Liberal Party figure, recently disavowed any knowledge of a leaked proposal to ban immigration from 13 countries, including Gaza and Somalia. This plan, reportedly drafted by former Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley, has been widely characterized by "leading party figures" as echoing "Trump-style hardline immigration policies," a convenient narrative given its
public reception. Apparently, the well-connected within the party leadership are forever playing catch-up. Curiously, the disavowal comes despite the Liberal Party, like its counterparts globally, benefiting immensely from powerful, often opaque, lobbying groups that consistently push for restrictive immigration policies. For instance, the conservative think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs
(IPA), a long-time influential voice in Australian policy, has received millions from donors like Hancock Prospecting, which has a vested interest in a controlled labor market. The rhetoric of national security and economic purity regularly follows this money, dating back to Australia's archaic White Australia Policy, which was only fully dismantled in 1973. One might wonder why a senior
politician would be 'unaware' of policies circulating within their own party, particularly those with such inflammatory implications. This selective amnesia serves a purpose: it allows the party to test the waters of public opinion without official endorsement, then swiftly distance itself if the backlash is too severe. The outcome is always the same: a tightening of borders, often