Scratch a populationist, and you will usually find a xenophobe. Asian and African countries like India, Pakistan and Nigeria could easily and happily supply all the working-age people that Australia needs for the foreseeable future, and barely notice it. Set up proper systems for integrating them into our culture, and the problem is solved. But this seems to be what the 'populate or perish' advocates most fear: not fewer people, but fewer people of the 'right' colour.

Ever since history began, population pressures have solved themselves by migration. Lately we have begun to find ways to make that migration voluntary and peaceful rather than violent and disruptive. It would be a tragedy if putting up barriers against the migrants we need caused a reversion to the historical norms of invasion and slaughter.

< …our population pressure is arguably the opposite: we need more people, not less. >

Yep, that is indeed a very tiny thought bubble!

And pray tell, what happens when your hoard of young people get old. You will need an even greater hoard of new young ones to look after them. You are putting us on an ever increasing treadmill.

Get real

David

And we cannot feed ourselves now.
And do not mention peak oil, fertilizers etc.

Ross Elliot

No matter how many times you say it, doesn't make it true.

Everything is finite.

We either plan for it or live in teeny tiny thought bubble land.

Here then is a tiny thought.

If, as you say, we need more people, not less, then let them be the right people, PLEASE.

The dangers of populating with the wrong people are being seen all over the world. Weak and indecisive governments, of which we have a glaring example, will bring this country down to the ultimate status as a receiving centre for all the wrong, (unsuitable) people that fail to fit both out values, and cultural philosophies, a recipe for disaster.

The desire to promote multiculturalism is a great mistake.

I have respect for the opinions of Dick Smith most of the time and before I would discard his comments on this subject, I would have to read his reasoning again, not just selected quotations.

An additional problem in promoting a greater population is the ability (and quality) of the elected representatives in Australia, historically suffering under the penalty of a house of self-serving fools in Canberra, duplicated in all the states where the problems of population expansion have never been addressed seriously and never will. We have gridlock in every city, now even in the sterile Canberra, country towns with little or no facilities, transport infrastructure that is falling apart and so it has always been.

Overcome that problem and find the quality politicians who will make it work and perhaps the formula may improve somewhat.

But I doubt it.