Rather than increasing population we must start thinking about reducing population; not just in Australia, but globally.

There are simply too may people. Australia will soon be unable to feed itself, let alone export food to other countries. Two-thirds of our fish is now imported because the loons with power want to 'save' our stocks. While we are 'saving' our stocks, the countries we import fish from are taking twice our catch per capita out of areas measuring a tiny fraction of Australia's. We think that we have the luxury of preservation, while the Third World we import from will fish out their stocks and start to starve before we do. Try keeping Indonesia fishermen out of our waters then!

The nutbag environmentalists also want to deny irrigators of food in the Murrumbidgee and Murray basins even more water: talking about a 60% cut to the former area, and 39% in the latter. Both are struggling now in the name of the "health of the river". As the author says, it is these same plonkers who think it's OK to increase our population.

It would be best for Australia to quit the nonsense of globalisation, cease all immigration, and start living within our means. We are isolated at the bottom of the world, with few friends in the region, and we need to be looking after the people we have now, not bringing in more.

The statistics used to base this post concerning Australia needing to import food to feed our present population, supposedly due to drought, do not take into account that much farm land has been allowed to become dormant in the past thirty years due to the low prices farmers have received for their produce. Presently much food is imported into Australia, as part of the level playing field, so consumers are kept happy. While wheat prices remain low, production will remain low. While fruit and vegetable prices to the producers remain low, orchards will be bulldozed out and land grassed over. Australia could feed double the present population if the producers were encouraged by price to grow the food crops.

I think the past four decades have proven that the quality of life of the existing population is an issue our pollies could not POSSIBLY care less about than they already do.
In fact, I seriously doubt they actually even HAVE a plan, nor do I think they particularly care about future consequences.

Hazza :) they DO have a plan mate.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/blighs-husband-to-head-new-department/2007/10/19/1192301036894.html

http://www.envex.com.au/index.htm

I'm afraid the plan is.. "get and keep power..and fund it through the Green industry"

My motivation in writing this piece was firstly to put the population debate on the table as it were - all the problems that we face be it climate change, water shortages, food security are exacerbated by policies that ignore the reality that population pressure is a major problem both globally and here in Australia. The second motive was to encourage people to join Stop Population Growth Now - we need 500 people to take out membership to be a registered party and therefore our name will be on the ballot paper. We know that the major parties take note when a movement threatens their hold on power. Regardless of whether we are successful in getting anyone elected - we see great value in getting the words Stop Population Growth Now on the ballot paper and on the boards on election night - we just might be able to get our pollies to abandon their infatuation with population growth.
So if you agree with the sentiments in the article and expressed on our website take the next step and join - mention OLO and we will reduce the membership fee to $2! (Donations much appreciated!)

All good points,John,with the exception of continuing to allow family reunion and refugee intake.This smacks of the usual sop to the dreamy do-gooders in the community.

As we have already overshot our sustainable(in the long term) population level,probably by 100%,there is absolutely no room for further immigrants,whatever the source.This includes illegals,who should be automatically deported to their country of origin.That would very quickly dry up the source of the current expensive farce of the "boat people".

Re your setting up a political party - This is the third such party to be established recently(that I know of),all with the same laudable objective.Could it be that this is scattering the seed too widely? Would 1 or,at the most,2 parties suffice and be more effective?