Migrants at the very least do contribute demand for goods and services. Aside from introducing new skills and perspectives to our fair shores they also (at least those from South East Asian backgrounds) tend to be hard working and studious.

Rhian

< One can argue the direction of causation>

Exactly, which is why you wouldn't expect Tasmania to boom as a result of massively increasing immigration. All that would result would be huge infrastructure costs to cope with the extra people.

In WA, immigration might be a quick fix for resource projects, but permanent migrants will incur an infrastructure cost. How would this compare with the cost of training Australians?

Surely the best mining tax is to force the mining companies to source their labour locally?

Did others hear Ockham's Razor this morning: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/
It's a talk about a new film called "Growthbusters".
It answers my question above: "Does increasing the number increase the quality of human life?"

My position has long been that of course shrinking populations are desirable, but untenable in our capitalist paradigm.

Oh Malcolm!

You are a stereotypical booster resorting to the favourite strawman arguments that those who oppose endless growth are nazis, opposed to immigration, racists and dicatators blah blah blah.

All utter bl00dy rubbish!

Of course you have no vested interests in the status quo do you Malcolm, e.g. substantial share and investment property portfolios and close to retirement.

Like bl00dy hell your don't!

population.org.au/petition

“We the undersigned are concerned at the rate of population growth in Australia. In this, we join the 72% of the Australians surveyed in the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes, who agreed that Australia does not need more people. We request that the Federal Government take all necessary steps to stabilise the population at close to the current level.”