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Dilan, you gloss over the enormous consequences of a rapidly increasing population, some of which Bob Birrell elucidates in his article of 3rd August, for which he has received a lot of support: http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10765

These are vastly more important factors than the potential downsides of an aging population.

We desperately need a policy shift that will steer us towards sustainability. Thank goodness for the removal of Rudd and rise of Gillard to this extent. Although Gillard’s sustainability ethic appears to be pretty poor, it is still a major shift in the history of Australian politics.

A lot of policy shifts are needed in conjunction with a large-scale reduction in immigration. One of the main areas is incentives to keep older workers in the workforce and to make sure that superannuation is up to the task of comfortably supporting the retired.

For goodness sake, the last thing we need is a continuation of very high immigration. We really do need immigration to be brought right down quickly. Then if we can implement policies which genuinely direct us towards a sustainable society and give them a chance to bed in and be proven, we could possibly start increasing immigration again…. although by that time it would be obvious that a low immigration / stable population ethic would be the correct philosophy for a healthy nation and there would probably be very little push to increase it.

Dilan, your philosophy keeps us addicted to continuous growth. But you would know that it has to end at some point. We must stabilise …. or reach a peak and decline. It is MUCH MUCH better that we strive to stabilise as soon as is practical rather than just continuing to expand and letting our limiting factors cause a peak and crash event.

This really is so basic that it boggles my mind as to how anyone without strong vested interests can advocate a continuation with no end in sight of high immigration and population growth.

And your liberal party membership card number is?
A little hint Ploy's on all side tend not to do anything that they believe doesn't have a positive net effect on votes. If you got out of your nice middle class home now and then you might see that there are plently of very dumb voters. Their votes counts the same as a well informed voter, can you see where I'm headed here. So while you can hope that our Ploy's are more like you want them to be, the reality is they'll be what we make them.

Most Australians are opposed to a big Australia and want immigration reduced. Politicians of any colour would be crazy to ignore that. When push comes to shove, polticians are there to serve the people of Australia: not foreigners, lobbyists and people with no clue on the dangers and downright uselessness of immigration-driven population increases.

As Bob Birell says, continued population growth is like a dog chasing its tail.

According to Ross Gitten’s article in the ‘National Times’ 4th August, the Productivity Commission has found that “…an increase in skilled migration led to only a minor increase in income per person, far less than could be gained from measures to increase the productivity of the workforce.” And that: “… the gains actually went to the immigrants, LEAVING THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS A FRACTI0N WORE OFF.”

Immigrants themselves pay nothing to put themselves into housing and into a life at the same standard as the rest of us, including extra infrastructure. Guess who pays – we do!

This is a carefully written and politely phrased article that concludes in gentle and respectful tones that if you are not in favour of high immigration, you are a racist.

Dilan, I respect you and I understand the feelings that you have regarding migrants being demonised for no other reason than wanting to come to Australia and live like an Australian. It is even worse because in many cases migrants appreciate the freedoms and other good things that Australia has to offer, more than Australian born citizens. It is even worse because in many cases migrants have to learn a new language and a new culture and work harder than an Australian born citizen to achieve a similar standard of living. It is even worse because after doing all that a significant segment of the population still doesn’t give foreign born Australians even half the respect they deserve.

Unfortunately, even if that significant percentage of Australians found a way to give migrants the respect they deserve, that would not change the laws of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. Resource use can’t grow forever on a finite planet. We need to get sustainable some day. We are not sustainable with 22 million. We would need to make massive lifestyle changes to get to be sustainable with 22 million. Those changes get more difficult and more drastic as the population increases. If it is our goal as a society to leave a better world for our children (and I am not certain that really is our goal – it is probably more get as much money in the short term as possible) then we need to try to start getting sustainable as soon as possible. It will be a very big job.

You note that we have environmental problems. You seem to want to do something about greenhouse. Please Dilan get your calculator out and show us how we can reduce greenhouse emissions with a steadily rising population as a result of high immigration. It will be almost impossible without high immigration.

I agree entirely with you, Dilan, but Julia Gillard knows exactly to whom she is making her pitch: the likes of those whose half-baked comments have so far greeted your thoughtful article.

Instead of what could be were we to undertake the sort of potentially mind-blowing revenue reforms recommended by the Henry Review Panel, many Australians have, like our political representatives, allowed themselves to become circumscribed by the strictures of economic circumstances. As the GFC impacts further upon us, our political representatives are unfortunately likely to play on all the fear and prejudice this creates like piano afficionados.

Once Australians characteristically rose to the challenges that confronted them, but today many of us are just rabbits transfixed in the headlights.