A father-of-three facing potential homelessness has suggested closing Australia’s border to slow migration rates amid the lack of housing around the country.
Morgan Cox from the New South Wales Central Coast this week appeared on ABC’s Q+A program, saying he is working hard at two jobs and still struggling with daily bills.
The dad revealed he was hit with a rent increase notice of an additional $180 a week, close to $10,000 a year, and could not find a cheaper place due to immigration.
“What little is available, there’s dozens of people lined up. Lots of them are immigrants and they have plenty more money,” he said, asking Health Minister Mark Butler if the government would lower immigration rates to match housing availability.
Speaking to Sky News host Paul Murray on Thursday, Mr Cox said he fears millions of Australians could end up being homeless if action is not taking soon.
“I know millions of other people are in a similar situation. And it’s not just the rent, it’s the electricity, the insurance. I run a business… the expenses are very high,” he said.
The NSW resident then took aim at the Albanese government, after Labor suggested the worst of inflation, which dropped to 3.2 per cent, was “well and truly behind us”.
“It’s insane. I can’t believe they’re saying inflation is low, I can’t believe it. It feels like gaslighting to say that the worst is behind us, it’s insane,” Mr Cox continued.
Asked if he had a message for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the father-of-three said millions of families could be “destroyed” and living in tents.
“I think it’s gonna be the biggest disaster this country’s seen,” he said.
Mr Cox stressed his priority was looking after his kids and wife who is also working but has to cut back at times to look after the kids due to the limited daycare in their area.
He believes there is a “very simple solution” for the government and that was to close the border temporarily until struggling Australians can find their feet again.
“I mean, five years ago, we had an emergency and they closed the borders. They just stopped everyone coming in,” he said in reference to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We don’t even need to go that hard. But is this not an emergency?
“It’s five million people, or some insane number of people, potentially facing homelessness in the next couple of years. Is that not an emergency?”
Labor has pledged to build 1.2 million new homes by 2030, but a report from Master Builders Australia said the nation is on target to fall 350,000 houses short of the goal.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), net overseas migration came in at 446,000 people in the year ending June 30, 2024.
That is down from a record 536,000 the year before.
The ABS noted historically more people migrate to Australia than leave each year and that the numbers have been in recent years after the border reopened.
Mr Butler in response during Q+A said he was “sorry” to Mr Cox, admitting its a similar story he has heard from many other Australians around the country.
“We have been working very hard to get migration levels, immigration levels down to something we think the country can manage,” he said.
“What we’ve found after those efforts is the arrival numbers have returned to about pre-Covid levels but we’re not managing the exits, the people returning home if they’ve been here studying or for short-term skilled work, and we’re working very hard on that.”
The government announced last year permanent migration will be set at 185,000 places and is aiming to reduce net overseas migration to 250,000 by June 2025.
