OECD chief warns Australia against populist migration policies
Mathias Cormann urges focus on productivity and housing to address cost-of-living concerns rather than adopting migration caps.
At a glance
- Cormann warns populist migration policies will not ease cost-of-living pressures or boost productivity
- He advocates for housing, wage growth and energy cost reduction through productivity improvements
- Research shows migrants have positive employment effects for Australian-born workers
Australia's mainstream political parties are being cautioned against adopting populist policies such as migration caps to address voter concerns about the cost of living, according to Mathias Cormann, the country's longest-serving finance minister and current head of the OECD.
Cormann is instead urging politicians to tackle affordability through increased productivity, which he says would support housing availability, real wage growth and lower energy costs. Research cited in the warning indicates that migrants contribute positively to employment outcomes for Australian-born workers.
Why it matters
Cost of living and migration are central election issues in Australia, with populist approaches gaining traction among voters frustrated by affordability challenges.
Original reporting
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