Moderate Liberal Party members have warned the newly elected opposition leader Angus Taylor against adopting hardline immigration policies modelled on measures introduced by the Trump administration in the United States.
The warnings come after details emerged of a draft policy proposal that would restrict migration from dozens of regions across the world where listed terrorist organisations control territory.
The plan, developed under former opposition leader Sussan Ley, proposed banning migrants from 37 regions across 13 countries, including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Somalia and Yemen.
Supporters of the proposal argue that restricting migration from areas affected by terrorist activity could strengthen border security and reassure voters concerned about national safety.
However several Liberal MPs have cautioned against broad policies that could be perceived as targeting entire populations.
Conservative Liberal senator Leah Blyth said policymakers should avoid sweeping generalisations when designing immigration policy.
“We don’t want terrorists or people that don’t like our way of life coming into Australia,” Blyth said.
“But we’ve got to be mindful of what generalisations mean, because a lot of innocent people are repressed under these regimes.”
Paul Scarr, who served as shadow immigration minister under Sussan Ley, said he had serious concerns about the proposal and did not support the idea of banning migrants from specific countries or regions.
Scarr said he had “never agreed” to that element of the policy.
Another Liberal senator, Andrew McLachlan, warned the party not to embrace populist rhetoric or mirror the anti-immigration approach of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
“Populist rhetoric adds nothing constructive to this discussion,” McLachlan said.
“We should always seek to attract the best and brightest people in the world who want to join us in building an amazing multicultural society.”
The debate within the Liberal Party comes as the Coalition attempts to rebuild support after recent election losses and as polling suggests One Nation is gaining ground among conservative voters.
Some party members believe adopting tougher immigration policies could help reclaim voters who have shifted towards minor parties.
Others fear such a strategy could alienate urban voters and damage the party’s reputation among multicultural communities.
One Liberal MP, speaking anonymously, said tone would be critical if the party sought to tighten immigration rules.
“If you don’t get the tone right … we risk people thinking that our intentions behind our migration policies are racist,” the MP said.
Taylor has already indicated the Coalition intends to reduce overall immigration levels and introduce a system designed to prevent entry by individuals who do not support Australia’s democratic values and basic freedoms.
But moderates inside the party remain concerned that an overly aggressive approach to immigration policy could deepen internal divisions and shift the party further toward the political right.
