A closer look at “Mathias Cormann warns Australia against populist migration caps, urges productivity boost”, exactly as the source publishes it. Former finance minister and OECD head Mathias Cormann is warning Australia's major parties against mimicking populist policies like migration caps to ease cost-of-living pressures. Cormann, who served as finance minister from 2013 to 2020, argues that capping migration would not address housing costs, wages, or energy prices. Instead, he calls for policies that lift productivity, which he says will deliver real wage growth and lower energy costs.
His comments come as both Labor and the Coalition face voter frustration over high living costs, with some politicians flirting with populist measures. Cormann points to OECD research showing migrants boost employment among Australian-born workers, countering claims that migration hurts local job prospects. He urges leaders to focus on structural reforms rather than short-term political fixes. This listing links straight to the original page, where the content is available in full.