It was Bob Brown who recently noted that the Rudd government doesn't actually have a population plan down on paper, that's why he's calling for a parliamentary enquiry.
The lack of a plan is alarming enough given everyone's eagerness to have a "Big" Australia, even when Rudd & co do implement the advice they pay so dearly for they manage to make a hash of it.
Free insulation anyone?
All of the theoretical problems the Greens raise could be avoided by implementing the right technology and completely changing the way we live.It's disappointing to see a so called Environmental party wasting so much time on Left Wing lifestyle concerns such as Gay marriage and refugee justice when they could be devoting all their efforts to promoting sustainable living.
If we can't live in a sustainable way now how are we going to cope with double the population?
As Aboriginal activist Robbie Thorpe said on 3CR the other day "The times of plenty are over" we have to come up with a whole new way of life for Australians if we're going to, not only survive as a modern society but actually make progress.
The question is who's going to work toward that goal, and will the immigrants coming here take to sustainable living or will they insist on a 20th century version of the "Australian Dream"?

"In fact Australia should increase its humanitarian immigration program, but we need to reduce our skilled migration program and balance that reduction by investing in skills training for Australians."

Is one of the most moronic "mother hood" statements I have heard in a long while.

Improved skills training at home is a goal that everyone will agree with, but given the time and money taken to train engineers, doctors etc from the final years of high school, university, several years of post graduate training, is not going to provide the skills needed today but maybe in a decade or more. A few more Tafe or Uni places is not going to cut it. (that's assuming you have the kids with the IQ and schooling to fill them)

It is well known relationship that highly skilled people create employment for others. Bringing in illiterate and largely unemployable people creates a need for the skills to create the jobs to employ them, and therefore increases the need for skilled immigration.

Given that a large portion of the population growth is from people living longer, and that we are looking at 25% over 65 by 2040, which means we need the economic engine to provide services for this aging population. These low skilled immigrants are likely to put a strain on the welfare resources rather than add to them.

Wow nice way to show your compassionate christianity runner and leigh.
If god really existed people like you two would be first in line for a smiting. Do you not know gods views on people who profess to believe but act against gods demands?
Was it not your savior who said......
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.
Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'
And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"
(Matthew 25.35-40 ESV)

Is it not written in your holy books?

"You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."
Luke 6:36
"If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?"
1 John 3:17
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘ Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother."
Zechariah 7:9
"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd"
Matthew 9:36
"Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers,
for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"
Hebrews 13:2
"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling"
1 Peter 4:9
"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: '
It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Acts 20:35

Hmmmmmm?

Leigh says

<Even the UN is scathing of Rudd’s incompetence and softness with illegals:

“ THE UN's refugee agency has warned that the Rudd government's decision to allow dozens of Sri Lankan boatpeople in Indonesia to jump the immigration queue will encourage others to try similar tactics.” (‘The Australian’ 25.3/10)

Instead of allowing a boat load of illegals to remain Indonesia’s problem (they wouldn’t take responsibility for the 79 rescued in their waters by an Australian customs vessel), Rudd has done another foolish deal to encourage more illegals to come to Australia.

The UNHCR has decided that Rudd’s provision of a ‘special deal’ for the latest lot of blackmailers is “…bad practice” because “There are Sri Lankan refugees who have been sitting in Indonesia for some time.”

The UNHCR believes that Australia should not be giving in to these people because it encourages what he described as “a form of “queue-jumping”.>

What a load of unmitigated KRA*P!

There is absolutely no evidence that anyone of importance or official status ever said anything remotely like that; perhaps one of the anti Labor hacks at the Australian might have imagined it!

If you are going to state BIG BOLD untruths then at least try to make them plausible. As if any global body is going to criticize any country's leader in a public statement...jeesh you guys don't even try to be sensible!

cont...

cont...

As you all know but prefer to obscure is that most of the "uninvited" (I refuse to call them illegals as any refugee has the absolute right to seek asylum where they can) come by airplane and are processed without the vindicative rubbish that people like Leigh espouse.

It is delusional to assume that Howard and the Liberals solved the refugee problem - all they did was move boat people to Nauru thereby paying massive amounts of money (yes a great big tax on all of us) to keep these poor people hidden from the public eye and support a failing economy in a tiny island nation. Of course smugglers reduced the number of people sent after a year or so but it destroyed our international credibility; it proved Australia was unwilling to abide by signed international agreements and most importantly it cost vastly more than if we had accepted and processed the refugees locally.

Ms. Metcalfe,

Your principles are impeccable; your zeal laudable, you are too young.

Of those who recruited me to your country on condition that I had the elementary school certificate and no family, I think little but I admire the Aboriginal people and their culture.

The European inhabitant here, I found pretentious, divisive, and stolid as the ones I had left in my birthplace.

No priest of ideological constructs, religious or political, is credible. A logician has proved that all priests and politicians are positively criminals, none excluded.

The two pieces of new legislation enacted under the Howard Empire (democracy being a succession of Empires) that I found inhumane are the one that goes under the name of Business Migration and the one called Privacy Law, the first discriminatory the other perversely absurd, both open to abuse and cruelty.

I said ‘too young’ because you missed noting that in a group of people some are liars.

I found your article touching, positive and beautiful.