so whats our immigration policy?

[hughie]

One wonders what out immigration policy is. It seems to be policy off the cuff and on the run with about as much forward thinking as any polly can muster.....the next election.

[opelblues]

im all for the end of this program, and if memory services me right its just not the one sided that we in the real world are lead to belive. and if you think the GOV have it wrong the go to this site and have a read.

England: Immigration Truths

[AlexS]

It's a bit stupid to have an immigration policy without a population policy. Needless to say, business wants a much larger population so they can continue to grow, but at what cost to our real standard of living.

We live in a community, not an economy.

[beer is good]

Yes we do live in a community not an economy. Personally, I don't think that Australia can support much more than we already have. Here in Perth we are about to suffer another "resources boom". The last one 3 years ago had the following effects: house prices went ballistic, the roads were noticably more crowded and prices for food are higher than other states. And all of this was because of the influx of people pouring into WA.

What Oz needs is a ban on immigration for a couple of years so that we can build more houses, improve the hospitals, schools etc, and have an orderly increase in migration.

[underfoot]

It's a bit stupid to have an immigration policy without a population policy. We live in a community, not an economy.

I get the feeling that our immigration and population policies are just social experiments run by economists.
And as someone (clever) once said, " The economy is vital, as it's the only useful method of employing economists"

[beer is good]

" The economy is vital, as it's the only useful method of employing economists"

Too true!!!

[wheelinround]

If your talking about the latest issues of illegal persons entering Australia I don't consider these people to be Immigrants.
I can't fathom how the media or Government do either reading their own status and legal requirements.

Reading Wikipedia
Australia has a small legal immigration influx compared to many other smaller countries, they do agree its all about economics.

Jokes on them coming here for higher wages etc only to find their jobs have been sent off shore often back to their country of origin.

[Waldo]

I'm going to wade in here with:

• Anything Dudd does is on the fly with no thought;
• we cannot sustain a population of the figures going around for 2050, as infrastructure is already pushed to far in the capital cities;
• will a future infrastructure be ready in 40 years in both capital cities and regional areas? I doubt it;
• besides we don't have enough resources by way of water and food, let alone much else;
• the immigrants via the boats are only que jumpers, the real immigrants are those going through the correct channels and they are the ones being hard done by by all this

I'm not against immigrants at all, just the way it's all being gone about very badly and the bigger picture isn't recognised by Dudd. Anyone can make cloud in the sky dribble and it might pull an emotional feel good tear from some, but it all lacks substance.

Howard had it right.

[BEKKY]

Can someone answer this question?

You hear everyday of boats arriving with X number of "asylum seekers" and a number of crew.
The "asylum seekers" are put into detention.

What becomes of the boats and crew. do they send them back to return with another load.?

[rsser]

As I understand it Bekky any crew are repatriated; the master is jailed pending legal proceedings. The boat is confiscated and may be burned.

Julian Burnside recently wrote in The Age that it would take something like 30 years for refugees arriving at the current rate to fill the MCG. For you foreigners, that's about 120,000 people. So we are hardly being drowned by illegal immigrants. Any case, given our compliance with international human rights treaties, they're refugees, not queue jumpers, and should be 'processed' quickly and humanely.

I hung my head in shame as an Aussie under Howard; Rudd's recent decision not to act quickly and humanely in respect of Sri Lankans and Afghanis is bringing the bile back into my throat.

[wheelinround]

So whats your local member doing to kick some sense into Rudd. After all he's/we are paying large some of $$$$ to the owners of Christmas Islands detention centre aren't we.???

[rsser]

I'd have to kick some sense into my local member first. Moves like a tractor and shares one's name.

Detention in the community as an alternative used with some success by other countries.

[AlexS]

Julian Burnside recently wrote in The Age that it would take something like 30 years for refugees arriving at the current rate to fill the MCG. For you foreigners, that's about 120,000 people.

Quite so. Most of our 'illegals' arrive by plane on tourist or other visas, and overstay. If they government was serious, these are the people they would be chasing.

There's a strong argument that the 'boat people' are exactly the type of people we need - they've shown initiative, they're motivated and they've chosen to come here, rather than being here by an accident of birth.

[Cruzi]

This institutionalised racism which now dominates our media is sickening to see and the last place I expected to see it was here.

Australia is a nation of immigrants, unless you are are aboriginal, you are the descendant of an immigrant. Never ever forget that.

Whilst our immigration rate may seem higher than the US and UK, we do not have the very large amounts of illegal immigrants that they have, so there is a balance.

Since 1901 30% of the Australian population has been been born overseas, it is not a new thing.

Australia's birth rate has never been a high one, it ranks very low within the world's developed nations.

You need people to pay taxes to cover all the welfare benefits, put more simply there will be far less taxpayers to pay the bills unless something is done. (This fact was identified by the superannuation and insurance industry in the 70's)

You need population growth, no growth means less jobs, (because of productivity gains, less people to do same work), less jobs mean less money, less money means less demand, less demand means less jobs, ad infinitum.

The easiest way to point out how growth is important is your house, it only goes up in value because of population growth, more people need more houses, less people, less needing houses, houses worth less.

And for gawd's sake no room?????, you are kidding, we are one of the lowest capita per sq/km nations in the world.

[Waldo]

There's a strong argument that the 'boat people' are exactly the type of people we need - they've shown initiative, they're motivated and they've chosen to come here, rather than being here by an accident of birth.

That's a fair comment, hadn't thought of that.

no room?????, you are kidding, we are one of the lowest capita per sq/km nations in the world.

Not no room, no infrastructure.