A policy like this could ensure a losing Liberal party a victory.

Labor's plans to almost double Australia's refugee intake will cost more than $6billion over the next decade.

The Opposition aims to increase the government-funded humanitarian intake from 17,750 to 27,000 a year in 2025-2026, a number expanded to 32,000 under a revised policy announced at Labor's 2018 national conference.

The plans would also include an increase in the community refugee program from 1,000 to 5,000 spots a year.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the policy as a 'betrayal', and said the current program was already the best in the world.

'The great risk here is that it will cost taxpayers $6bn and put at risk the services already ­experiencing pressure under the current program,' he told The Australian.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann also slammed the plan for diverting funds away from drought-affected farmers.

Senator Cormann said Australia was already one of the most generous countries on earth in terms of welcoming genuine refugees.

The minister accused Bill Shorten's party of standing in the way of the government's drought relief fund - which will provide grants totalling $100 million a year from 2020.

'Our Drought Future Fund would grow to $5 billion over that same period Bill Shorten wants to spend more than $6 billion on further increasing our refugee program,' he said.

'He (Bill Shorten) is standing in the way of $100 million a year in additional funding to drought proof communities across Australia.

'Labor has got its priorities wrong.'

Australia's Humanitarian Program had already increased to 18,750 for 2018-19 - it's largest in 30 years, he added.

The first five years of a Labor government would also see funding to the United Nations' refugee agency increase 20-fold from $25million to $500million.

Figures from 2015-16 show that of those asylum seekers accepted into Australia, about 6,730 were refugees, 5,032 were special humanitarian entrants and 1,227 were women deemed to be at risk.

Australia settles more refugees per capita than other first-world countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and New Zealand.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6782349/Labor-plans-increase-refugee-intake-17-750-27-000-six-years.html

27000 in a country of 25000000!
Hardly a flood or an invasion is it? Hardly even a drop in the ocean.
Pretty weak attempt at scaremongering I think.
Fear is all the liars have left. And didnt that do so well in Victoria recently hahahahaha

Labour will find a million ways to waste money in order to win votes and keep unions happy. The Liberals are only slightly better.

runner,

Look at the money that our Prime Minister is
suddenly throwing around at everything.
This always happen with the Liberals prior to elections.
They think voters are stupid - but not this time.

Happen to agree with you Foxy. Liberals are trying to buy back the election. Labour however will be complete economic vandals as they were last time in power. They are talking about giving women fleeing 'domestic violence' $10000 to escape. What an idiotic policy that will be totally abused like every other handout the Government gives. Unfortuntaley both Liberal and Labour are wedded to having more and more people breastfed by Government. They have learn't nothing from other socialist experiments and disasters.

mikk, When a lot do not want to learn English therefore can't be employed, others want everything given to them without having to contribute to Australia.

Now if the people who came were employable in positions that needed more people that would be different.

Don't forget the over many thousands who had been here over 5 years and a very high percentage were still on welfare for that whole period and beyond.

runner both parties are in voter buying mode, as well as the Greens.