QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (14:45): Thanks, Senator Whitten. Well, Senator Whitten, what you omitted to mention was that, after the changes that Canada made to their migration policy, they experienced two consecutive quarters of GDP falling, which, by any definition, represents a recession. That is what the impact of One Nation's policies would be if they were implemented.

Now, we acknowledge, and have acknowledged for some time, that migration numbers in Australia do need to be reduced to sustainable levels. That's why we've had targets in our budget papers for some time demonstrating our intent to reduce migration numbers to more sustainable levels. But what we do not intend to do is to send the Australian economy into recession in the way that One Nation would propose.

What we do not intend to do is to rip hospital workers, aged-care workers, abattoir workers, farm workers and tourism workers out of the regional economies that you say you represent. We intend to get that balance right. The PRESIDENT: Senator Whitten, second supplementary?