JJPlug said....... "Except for the fact that if people weren't emitting carbon in Australia they'd be emitting it elsewhere."

This is another furphy tossed about by growthists. It's my considered opinion that most people who migrate to Australia and especially those who attempt to migrate here by illegal means do so in the belief that they will enhance their living standards, otherwise, why would they bother to come here at all?

They only want what Aussies want. The opportunity to build a home on a block of land, the opportunity to buy a gas guzzling 4X4 for the family to tow the caravan and boat, plus a smaller car for each member of their family and the opportunity to drive those vehicles anywhere and any time they damned well want. In other words, they're shifting their low polluting lifestyles in their home country to a much more pollutant lifestyle here.

Get the picture yet? Immigrants move her to enhance their lifestyles and that's fine, but isn't it also true that any addition of immigrants to this country is also going to increase the polluting products belching form our coal-fired power plants and land fill sites. Whilst it may be true that these immigrants were emitting some pollution in their home country, you can't tell me that they're not going to double their greenhouse gas emissions once they settle down on our shores.

What 'demographic time bomb'? Who's blowing the 'dog whistle' here?
I'm waiting for an argument in support of high population growth that doesn't insinuate or even assert that opponents of 'Big Australia' have racist motives.
There are many countries with small populations that are not in danger of a 'demographic time bomb' and they have higher per capita GDPs than Australia,most of Australia's 'growth' is simply due to an increased population.

Jos, I am one of the population stabilizers who begrudge the 13760 refugees coming here.

To start with, I feel no obligation to citizens of any other country. I feel even less obligation to those who's very culture has caused the problems that make them refugees. I am totally horrified that with our ridiculous multiculturalism policy, we actually encourage the continuance of these destructive cultural habits that have destroyed the country of origin of these people.

We then have these destructive cultural habits in a portion of our community, who because of their background will not do well in Oz, & will soon start to resent those who are doing well, even when it is those doing well who support their daily needs.

If ever there was a policy guaranteed to cause major trouble in the future of Oz it is this one. You only have to look at places like Bosnia, Paris, & parts of the UK, & even Germany to see where we are headed.

Closer to home, try Fiji, if you want to see where we are headed. I just wish do-gooders would face the facts of human nature, instead of trying to convince themselves that we, [& particularly they] are better than that. Bull dust.

The author says:

"Gillard's small Australia and Australia's demographic time-bomb amount to an ageing population and a diminishing taxpayer base."

So... a call to Aussie married couples..

-*Please have more children
-*Ladies.. Nurturing little ones is better than stress trying to juggle a work and home life.
-*House prices will tumble. (We canot afford the current prices on a single income)

-Utopia will arrive :)

There's one thing that I need explained to me:

Both parties don't want a big Australia so their policies reflect a reduction of immigration numbers.

But... Both parties are introducing policies to encourage the birthrate.

So what is the real message?

As far as I can tell, the world, outside Australia, is overpopulated. I would have thought the above policies logically be reversed.

The thing that worries me about this debate is the politically correct bullies that try to silence others views, such as those recently expressed by demographer Bob Birrell. Here are two recent examples of posters who don't think Australia is a democracy where people can express their own views, especially if its against large population growth. Just as well these people are politically correct trolls who due to there low educational achievements will never be in any serious positions of influence.

"Personally, I struggle to see how Monash University can continue to employ Bob Birrell, who argues against foreign students, whilst still accepting money from foreign students!"
Posted by David Jennings, Thursday, 18 March 2010 10:14:50 AM

and

"Why does Monash University keep Bob Birrell on staff? He's so anti-immigration and his anti-foreign students campaign has cost Monash a large number of foreign students. Bear in mind that Monash has 17,000 foreign students. Thats way more than Birrell's salary."
Posted by jjplug, Tuesday, 3 August 2010 10:21:51 AM