We have noticed many more letters to our newspapers raising the issue of high population growth mainly due to immigration. A recent survey by The Australian Population Research Institute has reported that "74% of voters thought that Australia does not need more people". The fillowing points set out some of the reasons why we should be demanding better immigration controls by our governments:
- The main reason why many people feel they haven't benifited from Australia's long stretch of economic expansion is because they haven't.
- Our pay packets haven't increased while many of our essential goods and services have gone through the roof.
- High migration makes it nearly impossible for Australia to fall into recession.
- It's great for business because it keeps wages low and there are more people to buy their good and services
- It looks great for governments because it means that economic growth looks better than it really is, but this is only an illusion.
- It certainly is not good for our ordinary wage and salary workers.
- Business is fairly happy because it means more demand for goods and services for when there is short supply it results in huge price rises (such as housing).
- As the new Governor of the Reserve Bank, Phillip Lowe, has stated "the role of good economic policy should be to raise living standards- not make the population and therefore the economy bigger".
- So why don't our politicians do just that? Political donations influence? Maybe too many have investments in property and development that require more and more customers and they need more cutomers to kep the pot boiling? (Snouts in the trough).
Our very high rate of population growth is twice the world average and three times that of the UK, France, the US and similar western customers. Our governments over the last twenty years or so have claimed that this has driven our economic growth without suffering from a recession like other countries. The reality is that our existing citizens have gained no real fiscal benefit from our poulation growth from immigration.
In 2016 0ur intake was reduced from around 250,000 p.a. to about 200,000 p.a. and recently the Minister for Immigration canvassed reducing the intake further by 20.000 p.a. However, our Prime Minister was not prepared to do so. Why not ?
The reality is that since the GFC, Australia has seen per capita income go backwards as evidenced by stagnant wages growth. The slight reduction in long term arrivals presents a misleading picture because migration to Australia is still proceeding at a pace with a massive lift in long term visa holders, which are not included in our official immigration numbers.There are currently around 2 million long term visa holders in Australia right now all needing somewhere to live. Overall our rate of growth has averaged 1.7% which compares with around 0.7% average for UK, France and the US. Right now the rate of population growth for Melbourne is at the record rate of 2.4%. That's four time more than comparitive countries.
It's time for action, There is an election coming so take advantage and confront your local member and push for a real reduction in our intake. If we reduce it to around 70,000 p.a.we would still be ahead of the pack and meet our international obligations. That would give us breathing space to catch up with the infrastrucure upgrades we desperately need for our existing population and maybe , in time, we could provide infrastructure to cope with our future migrant intake.
To continue as we are will result in further degradation of our environment, lifestyle and a flat financial position. Ultimately we would end up living in overcrowded cities with overcrowded high rise ghettos. No one wants that do they?
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