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Taking the sharp edge off our fears : Comments
By Andrew Bartlett, published 27/1/2006Andrew Bartlett argues Australia needs to put some serious resources into multiculturalism and migrant settlement programs.
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For now, I will let lie the glaring logical and factual flaws in your last post and won't dwell on the fact that you have barely responded to any of my posts and not at all to my most recent posts.
Had you read the article "Overpriced and over here: Housing affordability" at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4156 by Damian Jeffree?
In it, he notes the critical link between continued relentless growth of Australia's population and our hyper-inflated housing market:
"The current level of immigration is effectively pumping demand and preventing the normal supply and demand pricing mechanism from operating to lower prices. The resulting prices unfairly disadvantage the current generation of Australians trying to afford what we should aim to have as a basic right."
Even though property speculators openly advocate increased immigration in order to drive up the already obscene cost of Australian housing, this crucial factor, which has, more than anything else, caused the impoverishment of ever larger sectors of the current Australian population, is barely ever mentioned or discussed by anyone in the spectrum of Australian politics ranging from the small 'l' liberal to the far left, who supposedly have the best interests of Australia's working class and underprivileged at heart.
You talk of immigration 'enriching' Australian culture. I ask you what sort of culture is possible for the growing numbers of Australians who have been cheated out of their entitlements to decent affordable shelter and the right to live in secure stable communities as a result of what is, at best, naive misguided head-in-the clouds idealism, or, at worst, naked profiteering?