# The Immigration Debate Nobody’s Having About Your Dinner

An episode of [The Karl Stefanovic Show](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1872352760), 28 Oct 2026, 48 min.

Audio: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APO7916201718.mp3

Immigration is the hottest issue in Australia. But there’s a layer most people never see, and it’s bringing you dinner. Sydney restaurateur Mario Libertini has spent 46 years in hospitality. He runs two busy restaurants. The customers are there. The staff aren’t. He hasn’t found an apprentice in five years, and he says the only workers he can get come from overseas. Karl and Mario get into why young Australians are walking away from hospitality, how the new visa rules are turning work into a game show, what it means beyond restaurants for aged care, childcare and the farms, and why, after 46 years, Mario wouldn’t open a restaurant today. In this episode: • The big red button ad, and why it went viral • Why young Aussies stopped wanting hospitality jobs • The backpacker ballot and new student visa rules, explained • Apprentices, social media and the “elevator generation” • How to get young Australians back behind the bar This episode is brought to you by Tanda. Find out more at tanda.com.au/karl #immigration #hospitality #australia

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