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The Forum > Article Comments > Taking the sharp edge off our fears > Comments

Taking the sharp edge off our fears : Comments

By Andrew Bartlett, published 27/1/2006

Andrew Bartlett argues Australia needs to put some serious resources into multiculturalism and migrant settlement programs.

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I think this is a well-argued and thoughtful essay, whose long-term message is not simply to our political leaders but to us all. You could go a step further and suggest how we as individuals should act to improve the levels of calm and civilised behaviour, even if we are uncertain or apprehensive about 'these other people'. We have done very well in the last fifty years. What would you suggest for the next fifty?
Posted by Don Aitkin, Friday, 27 January 2006 10:42:47 AM
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“… it is a simple fact that Australia has and will continue to have very high levels of migration.”

High levels of immigration will continue only as long as self-serving, ‘ethnic’ vote-seeking politicians desire it. Bartlett assumes that everyone not of his political persuasion wants discriminatory immigration. He is wrong about this, as he is so wrong about most things – evidenced by the laughable support for, the Australian Democrats.

As if it would make any difference what we thought, anyway. The only two parties capable of forming government are both high immigration junkies, and neither is very interested in what we think.

Immigrants should be invited to Australia only if they can contribute something to Australia that we don’t already have. Immigration should be for the good of Australia. No other reason. The present number of migrants, scavenged for political purposes, is ridiculously high and unneeded. Many of the people brought here for their skills are driving taxis and doing other menial jobs we have ample resources for already. And, with the Government allowing manufacturing and jobs to go overseas – to countries where many of our immigrants come from – why do we need more workers anyway? Certainly not for old chestnut of ‘ageing population’. Migrants grow old, too. And there are models to show that if replacement by immigration worked, everyone would end up living in one country.

The objection is not to non-discriminatory immigration, but to immigration itself in a country which is two-thirds uninhabitable.

Bartlett couldn’t resist the “underlying racism” quip. Perhaps he should gather up his fast diminishing little gang, and migrate to a country where there is no ‘racism’, or at least to a place where the people don’t mind being constantly insulted by their politicians
Posted by Leigh, Friday, 27 January 2006 11:31:07 AM
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Nice to see a discussion on multiculturalism that actually delves into some concrete policy prescriptions instead of symbolism-laden grandstanding. Surprisingly enough, I'm going to go with Leigh on this- Both major parties immigration addiction is inherently unsustainable, and at some point is going to have to be re-thought. too many people on the left are still struggling with the fact that under 'Howard the racist' we are seeing record levels of immigration, particularly from Asia- I've got no problem with immigrants, but I do have a problem with the urban sprawl, crime ghettos, and economic underclass that high immigration levels tend to produce in this country. That's not a race thing- I'm sure if we imported thousands of unskilled urban Americans we'd see similar dynamics emerging.
Posted by KRS 1, Friday, 27 January 2006 11:40:11 AM
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This article demonstrates an absolute and ironic resistance to democracy.
As long as I have been reading papers opinion polls regularly come out showing a majority of Australians don,t want mass immigration and don,t want multiculturism.
This democratic preference has been continually ignored and treated with contempt.
As for 'underlying racism', what are multiculturism and mass immigration but a deliberate effort to change the racial make-up of Australia? There is real racism.
No other country in the world has absorbed such a huge proportion of foreigners as Australia, and it is only amazing that there has not been more trouble sooner.
As long as the people who get in newspapers and on TV continue to ignore the evidence from all over the world that multi-culturism doesn't work, we will continue to head for trouble.
Posted by Bull, Friday, 27 January 2006 12:21:31 PM
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Mr Bartlett does not understand that many religions contain an essential political ideology, as christianity did up until the reformation. It is my view that there is nothing wrong with not limiting immagration on the basis of ideological veiws. For example, if you believe that the muslim ummah should rule the world, you should not come to our country.

I agree with old barto that immigration is absolutely necessary, but why endanger our society in the process. Cant we concentrate on countries which australia has a real historical connection with, such as east timor and papua who faught with us in ww2, saving australia from certain invasion in the process. And even Turkey, who although on the other side, anyone familiar with history will know of the intense respect that such a brutal, yet honourably fought war produced.

With regards to the above opinion that immigration will not help the aging population I would point out that most cultures see murder as murder and therefore have their children instead of killing them off prebirth. Other cultures also have more children (do not set a limit on thier family size) unlike us money hungries.

Bartlett's opinion that limiting the immigration pool to those who would get along in our culture is unfounded. I think most would agree that so long as we only limit on ideological grounds (did they let communists from russia in in the cold war? those that believed in communism I mean, not those escaping) the only people we would be limiting AT THE MOMENT is radical islamists (most of the muslim world) but this is only one sixth of the world's population.

You should remember when reading this I am solely talking of immigration not refuggee intakes.
Posted by fide mae, Friday, 27 January 2006 1:02:45 PM
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fide mae - one of the main points I aimed to make was that our intended migration numbers are so high that we would not be able to fill them if we restrict the groups we try to draw it from. Trying to exclude people on "ideological grounds" would be very difficult - although we can (and do) use character provisions to keep out extremists or people with criminal records. We could try to tighten that further, although history has shown that such provisions tend to be used arbitrarily and politically.

Another more workable option is tightening citizenship laws (there is a Bill before the Senate at the moment which makes it a bit harder to obtain citizenship). This doesn't stop people entering the country or residing here, but it is much easier to remove people who aren't citizens if they commit serious offences down the track. However, extending this to "ideological grounds" again would be hard to do in a way that was just.
Posted by AndrewBartlett, Friday, 27 January 2006 1:40:19 PM
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