Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defended Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's comments on refugees, saying "Dutton's comments have been misunderstood".
Peter Dutton took aim at Labor for pledging to nearly double the annual humanitarian intake to 27,000 and the Greens for wanting it raised to 50,000.
The coalition supports the existing intake of 13,750 that rises to 18,750 in 2018-19.
"For many people they won't be numerate or literate in their own language let alone English ... these people would be taking Australian jobs and there is no question about that," he said.
Labor and the Greens have labelled the comments xenophobic and deeply offensive.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull didn't directly respond to the minister's remarks when quizzed by reporters in Cairns on Wednesday.
"We have the most successful multicultural society in the world," he said.
He acknowledged that resettling refugees came at a cost to the budget but the government "did not begrudge the money".
