I certainly hope that the consensus (among politicians only) is set to unravel. I am also pleased to see that the author has reminded us of the efforts of the politicians and the Red press to to smother public debate on the topic. Immigration never comes up at elections, and it is vital to write STOP MASS IMMIGRATION at the top of ballot papers at every federal election.

There is no understanding by the morons in Canberra or the media that “ …. Australia is in danger of losing its culture and identity”.

The claim that high immigration and multiculturalism are good for the economy and Australia in general is a down right lie. Voters, no matter who they vote for, know this (being much smarter that politicians and media scribblers), but there are no politicians listening (except for Pauline Hanson, and she just doesn't have what it takes). Australian Conservatives are probably the best bet.

About bl..dy time!!
When is enough enough?
About 10 million people ago!!

ateday,

The optimal population for Australia has always been 13 million. This has been known for many years. Canberra knew it, but they ignored it. We are almost twice that already. Australia is rooted.

Yes, good analysis. Big Australia doable with massive infrastructure projects supporting increased population? Knowing the potential for technology to wipe out up to 90% of current occupations, many of them white collar!

Those projects include the rapid rollout of walk away safe thorium power. operated by this or that competing co-op. Ensuring our electricity supply was the lowest costing in the world!

These will power the draglines/dredges/desalination plants that change the face of Australia forever.

Imagine completely self contained dredges cutting a dual lane inland canal from the gulf of Carpentaria, to Lake Eyre. One in one out, with lock gates that funnel huge northern tides supporting the both way flow of new water and sea traffic.

Imagine these small floating cities with their own workshops/ancillary support vessels/vehicles. All electrically powered and recharged by the welded shut, inboard molten salt thorium reactor.

As the canal, most of it already below sea level, proceeded, new deionisation dialysis desalination plants could be set up along the way each one powered by it own welded shut, walk away safe, thorium reactor.

Yes we'd need a huge new workforce to build a few of these things but the new endlessly reliable water in our arid heartland more than paying for the entire program, well before it became shipping lane taking massively increased sea traffic from and to Asia.

New food production with them in time to take advantage of the new boom, the food boom. With a permanently full Lake Eyre the transport hub?

All of which progressively lined with the new towns and cities this single multifaceted project would support!

Yes we can afford to do this and on a grand scale. After all, we have a two trillion plus super fund just looking for visionary projects and an investment vehicle to protect the capital and the guaranteed, tax free return.

And that investment vehicle is, self terminating thirty year bonds, popular everywhere else?
Alan B.

I bet the numbers would be a lot higher, if weak minded Aussies weren't guilt tripped into staying silent upon threat of being labelled 'racist'

One of he worst dangers of our current unfettered mass immigration is that newcomers will not automatically have the “sense of belonging that is shared by the native population. Genuine citizenship (as opposed to legal documentation to that effect) can only be acquired by 'renouncing an identity' that is bound to another time and place. (Roger Scruton in 'The West and the Rest.)

Ties to a 'homeland' are no good in a western nation if it wants to remain democratic and avoid sectarianism. Democracy and national identity are dependent on each other.

Some 15 years prior to Donald Trump's arrival as president, Samuel P. Huntington said that America should “eschew the cosmopolitan alternative ….. of dual citizenship, identity politics, multiculturalism …. and modern day tribalism and recommit itself to assimilation …..”.

The same should be applied to Australia.

Hear, hear and well said, ttbn.
Alan B.

Hard to disagree, particularly if from Sydney or Melbourne, where housing prices have hit the roof. Also, lower immigration would help put less pressure on the welfare budget. But the challenge is to get the science and economics illiterate politicians to understand and accept the arguments. Besides, our PM is not renown for his strategic political skills.

Debt farming. That's why the herd numbers are being increased. More interest payers.
Can't see the beneficiaries wanting this gravy train to stop, ever.
They'll ride it till it derails. Can't imagine there's even a care about derailment. There's just the ride while it lasts.

Another article on population growth where the environment hardly gets a mention. Of course to be fair, the article is titled The Coalitions Immigration challenge and voters don't link population growth with degradation to the environment, so the author is right on track not including environmental problems. Maybe a mention of not meeting greenhouse targets related to population growth, but then again, I suppose nobody cares.

As an appendix then, the world's resources at a population of 7.6 billion can't provide health care, education and fair justice systems to 2-3 billion of us and we are headed toward 10-11 billion. It would be a lot easier to provide a good life to everybody if we had slower population growth. Wouldn't it be great if Australian policy was part of making the world better.

Mention population stabilisation and people immediately think of forced abortions and sterilisations. Or at least they have been guided that way by people who want a higher population. In Australia all we need to do is have net zero immigration (70,000 in 70,000 out) and no tax or welfare benefits past 2 kids. Yes you can have as many children as you like but the government won't reward you for it, like now.

High immigration is a dud policy for the average Australian. The Productivity commission points this out in every study they do and they don't even consider the environment. High immigration only benefits the rich. The average Australian's voice is starting to be heard a little. Maybe the coalition will pay attention. Trump won on immigration despite his myriad of faults. Brexit was largely about immigration. Maybe the coalition will defy their big business masters and dump this dud policy.

I have been banging on about this for years. 320,000 new immigrants is far too high not to expect it to create real tensions in our society.

At 20,000 pa our refugee intake is pitifully small but is being used by right wing politics to deflect from the disquiet being generated high immigrant numbers.

Any party which promises to halve immigration and double our refugee intake gets my vote with no other questions being asked.

Since our manufacturing sector has been diminished through government policies and the high job numbers entailed in bringing mining projects onstream have waned it is high migration numbers which is keeping the housing and retail sectors afloat.

I recognise that halving immigration numbers would have a real impact on growth and employment but there is a 'Brexit' sentiment starting to gather here and it will only grow.

Big business are also wedded to high immigration numbers and they have deep pockets to feed our politicians. They are probably the biggest obstacle for checking these high numbers. We need to start ramping the pressure up in such a way that it isn't coopted by the hard right in this country.