Malcolm Cheryl;
I hear that you are doing well from the "property council"
They are paying quite well for your propaganda

AndrasSmith,

The usual way to determine whether a person is a racist is to look at what they say or do. With organisations, you would look at their policies and the statements they put out. If you are dishonest about it, you try to smear them using guilt by association. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in the US, an organization that you quote a lot and whose tactics you copy, is notorious for accusing political opponents of being racists or "haters" to shut down debate. Even some people on the Left who share a lot of their views are disgusted.

“I feel that the Law Center is essentially a fraud and that it has a habit of casually labeling organizations as “hate groups.” (Which doesn’t mean that some of the groups it criticizes aren’t reprehensible.) In doing so, the SPLC shuts down debate, stifles free speech, and most of all, raises a pile of money, very little of which is used on behalf of poor people.”

http://harpers.org/blog/2010/03/hate-immigration-and-the-southern-poverty-law-center/

http://www.examiner.com/article/cornell-law-professor-blasts-southern-poverty-law-center-for-stirring-hate

If you think that Bob Birrell, say, is a racist, please point to something he actually said or did that is racist, or admit that you lied. Appearing in the same publication as a racist is not evidence. The Australian newspaper once published an opinion piece by John Pasquerelli, the former adviser to Pauline Hanson.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/one-nation-voters-can-look-to-joyce/story-e6frg6zo-1225788493489

Does that mean that anyone who ever published anything in the Australian, even a letter to the editor, is racist or on the Far Right? This is tinfoil hat territory.

By the way, you still haven't denied that you are a migration agent with a direct financial interest in this debate.

Malcolm King,

I don't feel silly at all. This is from the Productivity Commission 2010/2011 annual report (p. 6):

"An understanding of the economic impacts of immigration is sometimes clouded by misperception. Two benefits that are sometimes attributed to immigration, despite mixed or poor evidence to support them, are that:
* immigration is an important driver of per capita economic growth
* immigration could alleviate the problem of population ageing."

http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/113407/annual-report-2010-11.pdf

People can judge for themselves whether I have misquoted this or taken it out of context. Your growthist demographer friend clearly didn't agree with the thrust of the report, but presented no evidence to refute this statement or to show that his colleagues were wrong to put it in.

On the other hand there is good evidence that mass migration is leading to an oversupply of labour. Roy Morgan Research says that as of September, we have 10.4% real unemployment and 7.9% underemployment. Tim Colebatch, the Economics Editor of the Melbourne Age recently wrote:

“People born overseas have taken almost three-quarters of the net growth in full-time jobs in Australia in the past two years, even though they make up just 31 per cent of the adult population. Analysis of the Bureau of Statistics jobs data reveals that, comparing the six months to April with the same months two years earlier, Australia gained just 131,000 more full-time jobs - one new full-time job for every five new people.

"But in net terms, people born overseas gained 97,000 more full-time jobs, while Australian-born people gained only 34,000. The economy created only one new full-time job for every 10 more Australian-born people aged 15 and over.

"The figures raise doubts about employers' claims that they must hire workers from overseas because Australians are not available to do the jobs.”

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/skilled-newcomers-flood-fulltime-jobs-market-20130614-2o9vm.html#ixzz2i3tNxUVR

See Prof. Peter Turchin for the relationship between oversupply of the labour market and inequality.

http://www.aeonmagazine.com/living-together/peter-turchin-wealth-poverty

Divergence, so writing for John Tanton's The Social Contract Press is not compromising?

An opinion article by someone from "Christian Ministries" is published along with another opinion piece about suppsoed ethics etc. of SPLC, so what? If you need further evidence re bigotry behind the movement try the Anti Defamation League, Imagine 2050, NYT, Hampshire College Population Deveopment Program, Ian Angus etc. etc..

Again, it's classic evasion, produce no evidence for shonky claims then both attack or smear messengers, and encourage external focus vs exactly what is the anti pop movement trying to claim is supported by evidence?

Tim Colebatch of The Age (like many who think they are "progressive") cites and uses Birrell's "research" often and as most commenters here seem to, they use data and make opinions based upon conflated/confused definitions and therefore inflated numbers.

What is the definition of "immigration" or "immigrant"?

Using the net overseas migration NOM data, which makes up the estimated resident population figure and describing those included as "immigrants" is absolutely misleading, but that's the intention isn't it?

The NOM includes balance of all arrivals/departures in Australia for 12/16 months+ so includes backpackers, 457 workers, permanent immigrants, dependents, NZ'ers, international students and (if more return permanently), Australian citizens.

Accordingly one cannot use this data population, workforce, employment etc. for direct analysis and comparisons as students are on limited work rights (nor do all work), backpackers also have limitations, 457s have limitations, and dependents, especially children, would not be working.

Birrell does not need to write racist articles as he has plenty of media outlets and (hard hitting and reputable) journalists using or citing his headline "data", "research" and "opinions", think it's known as "dog whistling" (guess in earlier days he had plenty of development and guidance while cooperating with TSCP via FAIR writer workshops etc.)

Article supporting Tanton and attacking SPLC for daring to investigate from VDare, a very credible source, Vdare are white supremacists :)

http://www.vdare.com/articles/the-tale-of-john-tanton-cis-krikorian-kammer-make-fatal-concessions-to-splc

For some more points of view on John Tanton and his network including TSCP, FAIR, CIS, PFIR (Kelvin Thompson), ALEC (Cory Bernardi), NumbersUSA etc.., and for financiers, that's another story..... :

" There appears to be a dirty little secret lurking in the halls and cocktail parties of the of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) meetings – overt racism."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/04/1106275/-ALEC-SLLI-Bipartisan-Bigotry

"Major Anti - Immigrant Organizations have ties to Racist Pseudoscience"

http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2013/05/08/1981521/john-tanton-pioneer-fund/

" It turns out that many anti-immigrant leaders have backgrounds that should disqualify them from even participating in mainstream debate. What is sad is they manage to get the American press to quote them without ever noting their bizarre and often racist beliefs."

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2007/09/19/3519/know-your-sources-the-mainstream-press-keeps-finding-wacky-immigration-experts/

Anti Defamation League

http://blog.adl.org/tags/john-tanton and http://blog.adl.org/tags/the-social-contract

Who bankrolls John Tanton etc.

http://imagine2050.newcomm.org/2011/09/01/quiz-time-which-single-foundation-almost-solely-bankrolls-the-entirety-of-the-john-tanton-network/

A John Tanton connect the dots:

http://www.thepinkflamingoblog.com/2008/12/22/a-john-tanton-connect-the-dots/

" Where Anti-Immigrant Zealots Like Lou Dobbs Get Their 'Facts' The media keeps turning to racist group FAIR for its "expertise."

http://www.alternet.org/story/70489/where_anti-immigrant_zealots_like_lou_dobbs_get_their_%27facts%27

The last is relevant to Australia, as mainstream media seem to accept at face value the caring message about humanity, population growth, immigration etc.. propagated by SPA, SPP, Birrell & CPUR at Monash University, etc.

Not forget New York Times feauture on Ehrlich's, O'Connor's and Birrell's mate John Tanton.

"...... Rarely has one person done so much to structure a major cause, or done it so far from the public eye. Dr. Tanton has raised millions of dollars, groomed protégés and bequeathed institutions, all while running an ophthalmology practice nearly 800 miles from Capitol Hill.

“He is the most influential unknown man in America,” said Linda Chavez, a former aide to President Ronald Reagan who once led a Tanton group that promoted English-only laws.

While Dr. Tanton’s influence has been extraordinary, so has his evolution — from apostle of centrist restraint to ally of angry populists and a man who increasingly saw immigration through a racial lens......

..... While the whole movement grew more vehement as illegal immigration increased, Dr. Tanton seemed especially open to provocative allies and ideas. He set off a storm of protests two decades ago with a memorandum filled with dark warnings about the “Latin onslaught.” Word soon followed that FAIR was taking money from the Pioneer Fund, a foundation that promoted theories of the genetic superiority of whites."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/us/17immig.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0