Like a stale vanilla slice, divisive issues around migration appear to be likely to have a familiarly depressing impact on the upcoming federal election.

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At a time when governments elsewhere are introducing draconian anti-migrant and refugee policies, one might hope that Australia's political elite - informed by the success of our successful brand of home-grown brand of multiculturalism - would take a positive, nation-building approach to migration.

But there are signs that migration will again become a wedge issue in our increasingly febrile and polarising national conversation in the run-up to the election.

The opposition has signalled it will wind back Australia's sophisticated and successful humanitarian settlement system in the wake of Donald Trump's effective axing of America's refugee protection infrastructure.

There have also been questionable narratives around how migrants take homes and jobs from Australians are depressingly familiar but also demonstrably wrong and damaging to social cohesion.

The government has slashed numbers of overseas students entering Australia and it plans to reduce overseas migration to 260,000.

The Coalition plans to shrink permanent migration to 160,000.

A more bipartisan and logical approach to migration and refugee settlement would deliver economic and cohesive dividends to Australia.

Most economists say cutting migration will have little effect on housing affordability but may damage economic growth while creating even greater skills shortages.

At a time when some people are questioning the size of our immigration program, or........

© Canberra Times