The opposition Liberal Party of Australia has signalled its intention to reduce the number of skilled migrants and international students entering Australia, saying that cuts are required to ease pressure on housing, education and health systems.

Key figures within the party warn that large-scale migration is unsustainable and must be calibrated to national infrastructure capacity.

Shadow ministers including Sussan Ley, Jonathon Duniam and Paul Scarr want the policy debate settled by the end of the year and suggest that migration places should be tied to home-building rates and public-service capacity.

MPs such as Jess Collins have specifically identified the skilled migration stream as a starting point for cuts, arguing that the trades are underserved in Australia and that some skills coming in are surplus to needs.

In parallel, Senator Leah Blyth has singled out international student numbers as a lever for controlling migration flows.

While affirming her own migrant heritage, she stressed the need for “sensible” cuts that avoid casting multicultural communities in a negative light.

She warned that without a coherent migration policy the centre-right of Australian politics risks being hollowed out, opening space for smaller parties.

The debate includes some of the party’s senior figures.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has called for reducing annual immigration to roughly one hundred thousand, arguing that the current level is “miles too high.” Conservative backbencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has also urged the party to pause or significantly reduce parts of the migration programme, saying the focus should shift to Australian families rather than institution-driven flows.

Business voices have weighed into the discussion.

Matt Comyn, chief executive of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said reducing migration to around one hundred eighty thousand a year would help governments plan for housing, health and education infrastructure.

Economic modelling by the treasury estimated net overseas migration would fall from 315,900 in the year to 31 March 2025 to 260,000 this financial year and then to 225,000 for the following three years under current policy settings.

Within the party, the leadership must balance competing views of moderates and conservatives.

While the liberal moderates emphasise the nation’s longtime strength in migration and multiculturalism, the conservative faction emphasises controls and infrastructure pressures.

The opposition says it will not finalise numeric targets until closer to the next federal election, but intends to set guiding principles in coming weeks.

The internal debate also reflects election-strategy concerns.

Some party members believe that without a clear migration position the Liberal Party risks losing voters to parties such as One Nation, which are gaining traction by campaigning on immigration reduction.

Others caution that overly aggressive cuts could damage sectors dependent on migrant labour and international students.

As the campaign for the next federal election ramps up, the migration programme—particularly the streams for skilled workers and international students—is emerging as a central battleground between the major parties and within the Liberal ranks themselves.