It was a photo finish but in the end, Julia Gillard received the necessary votes to become Australia’s prime minister.

Many would argue that her tough stance on immigration secured a significant share of her vote, as one of the few topics in the election that the candidates had actual policies for.

The former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had visions of a big Australia, but Julia does not share the same vision. With a population of 22 million, Julia believes the country should not “hurtle down” towards a big population .

“I don’t support the idea of a big Australia with arbitrary targets of, say, a 40 million-strong Australia or a 36 million-strong Australia. We need to stop, take a breath and develop policies for a sustainable Australia,” she said in June.

However this doesn’t mean closing the door completely, as she also stated that it’s “not about bringing down the shutters in immigration.”

So what does this mean for people who want to move to Australia?

In short it looks like Gillard’s government will aim to slow down immigration but keep skilled migrants coming in to ensure that business can continue to flourish.

One of Global Visas Australian immigration experts says Australia will likely suffer if Gillard goes with a ‘small Australia’.

“For international investment (which every country needs) Australia really need to get the politics out of immigration, especially given the current economic challenges facing the Asia Pacific.”

“Gillard needs to start focusing on what the country actually needs – skilled workers and students who want to work and  study in Australia. Those people need clarity before they start considering Australia as a genuine destination.”

“Australia’s competing with Canada and US and UK to land these skilled migrants, and if they can’t give clarity on their immigration policy, people won’t take them seriously and nobody will come.”