How Australia risks losing global talent: High costs and closed doors means Australia could lose its value as a destination of choice.

At a weekend visit to my local Optus store, I met an IT consultant from India – a talented Melbourne graduate juggling two jobs just to cover rent. By day, he works full-time for Origin Energy. By night and weekend, he clocks in at Optus.

Despite his hopes to settle permanently in Australia, he admitted prospects are “not looking good.” Meanwhile, his friends overseas are whispering about greener pastures – places where opportunity doesn’t come with a side of burnout.

This story is all too familiar, and it’s not just about the soaring cost of essentials. Australia’s migration policies are becoming a masterclass in self-sabotage, repelling the very skilled workers the country says we need. In its bid to tackle the housing crisis and ease cost-of-living pressures, I can’t shake the image of the Albanese government stuck in a trolley problem of its own making: on one track, housing stress for everyone; on the other, stricter migration rules that barely dent the crisis but worsen our skills shortages.