A remark made by an Australian politician about immigrants of their country is being seen as ‘insensitive and disrespectful’ though government sources have clarified that the Premier’s remarks were being misrepresented for political reasons.

South Australia’s Premier Peter Malinauskas, while addressing an audience at a question-and-answer session at an event organised by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia in Adelaide, asked voters to think about “who’s going to feed you and bathe you and wipe your bum when you’re 90” if immigration was cut.

An Indian-origin political candidate, Deepa Mathew has criticised his comments saying they were ‘insulting to migrants’.

Mathew, who is Family First’s South Australian upper house candidate, said, “South Australia needs an immigration policy that is fair, orderly and sustainable. We must align migration settings with housing supply, infrastructure and cost-of-living pressures — not use migrants as a political prop.”

Condemning the language used by the Premier, Mathew said, it reduced migrants to a stereotype.

“To reduce migrants to people who exist solely to ‘wipe bums’ is offensive and beneath the office of Premier,” said Mathew, who moved with her family from India to Adelaide two decades ago.

“Like thousands of other migrants, we came seeking opportunity, freedom and a better future,” she said, adding that her family had worked hard, paid taxes and played an active role in the community, and that any discussion on migration should be handled in ‘a more careful and respectful way’.

The Premier, however, has accepted that calling for higher migration may be unpopular but it was important for eliminating job shortages. In his talk, Malinauskas had also spoken about plans to increase skilled migration to help fill jobs in defence, mining and housing construction. South Australia, he said, required thousands of extra-skilled workers every year, and that without steady migration, the state could lose out on economic growth. – editor@nrifocus.com