Peter Dutton says Labor’s international student caps plan a ‘dog’s breakfast’ after rejecting major bill

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has blasted Labor’s doomed international student caps as a “dog’s breakfast” as he defended the Coalition’s decision to sink legislation designed to lower migration.

The Coalition on Monday revealed it would oppose the Federal Government’s plan to cap international student enrolments at 270,000 next year as part of its wider strategy to curtail net overseas migration levels.

Mr Dutton said he supported a cap on international student numbers — although he wouldn’t reveal a number — as the Coalition targets even deeper cuts to migration levels to help free up housing for Australian families.

The Opposition Leader said he couldn’t support Labor’s approach, which he claimed would “bake in a benefit” for wealthy sandstone institutions such as the University of Sydney.

“We’re not supporting a bad bill that bakes in a benefit to a university that can make $1.4 billion a year while Australians can’t afford to pay rent,” he said.

“I just don’t think people realise how much pressure families are under at the moment.”

Mr Dutton also used a snap press conference in Canberra to accuse Labor of turning Australia into an “international embarrassment” with its strident opposition to nuclear energy.

The criticism follows reports the Federal Government rejected an invite from the US and UK at this week’s UN climate summit to join a new global pact to accelerate the uptake of nuclear energy.

The twin attacks will frame the political debate for what shapes as a frantic final parliamentary sitting fortnight of the year, in which Labor is facing a major fight to pass contentious pieces of legislation.