Well done Bob Brown, for at least being principled. Is all I have to say.

Ludwig,
Population growth and sustainability needs to be addressed. With a low birth rate and aging population Australia can ill afford to neglect the need for population growth, to do otherwise would, in the longer term, spell disaster. Naturally our immigration policy must be geared to both our economic requirements as well as our humanitarian obligations.The Greens formal policy on immigration can be accessed on the web site.
I agree with Bob Browns 2010 assessment that our population has mushroomed to the point where growth now substantially exceeds expectations and all previous projections. The cause of this spike in population growth is down to the demands of big business for skilled migrants to fuel the mining boom and other skill shortages. If government bends to the whims of big business we can not expect to have a sustainable population.
As migrants in the main are here for life, as will be their children, we need to be careful that our migration policy is relevant to population sustainability with the best possible long term outcome for Australia, while still meeting our international obligations.

By the same token, Austin Powerless, it would be a scary world if scientists attempted to dabble in economics. What we need is definitive answers from science followed by definitive action from both the scientific and economic community. Unfortunately, neither is likely to happen. Science by nature is rarely definitive, and economics by nature is rarely proactive.

Thanks Paul. That all sounds pretty good, except for one bit which seems to be in conflict with the rest:

You wrote:

<< With a low birth rate and aging population Australia can ill afford to neglect the need for population growth, to do otherwise would, in the longer term, spell disaster. >>

Why do we need any further population growth?

<< I agree with Bob Browns 2010 assessment that our population has mushroomed to the point where growth now substantially exceeds expectations and all previous projections >>

Yes.

<< The cause of this spike in population growth is down to the demands of big business for skilled migrants to fuel the mining boom and other skill shortages.>>

Yes.

<< If government bends to the whims of big business we can not expect to have a sustainable population. >>

Yes yes YES!!

And by crikey, this is exactly what is happening, big time. Our government, be it either Liberal or Labor, is just totally kowtowing to big business.

So isn’t this then the most important thing of all that the Greens need to be lobbying against??

You see, Bob Brown knew about this. How could he not have? But he didn’t do anything about it !! !! !! !!

I think the Greens would gain a whole lot of credence with the general populace if they got stuck into this issue. It is my experience that most people want a stable population and they can see that the big business lobby has the federal government under their vested-interest-profit-motive-driven big-donations-buy-favourable-decisions thumb, and they don’t like it at all!!

PLEASE, as a Greens member, can you implore Christine do act on this all-important issue.

Paul it is truly sad that you use the very same insults as Conservatives do.
Aimed at my loyalty to the ALP and my unshakable belief it is the only party that can produce Social justice.
Time,it stands uninterested in your views or mine.
I an do not want to rush it, but am comfortable,in my views and beliefs, that it will prove me right.
Election day 2013.
It will not matter what you or I think, but I am willing to put in print my forecast.
With out leadership change in any party here are my predictions.
A late but minor swing back to Labor, driven by fear of Abbott.
Marginalized electorate leaves green out in the cold.
Katter will take one senate seat, just a small chance two,QLD will not have forgiven Labor.
Greens by then will suffer loss, the beginning of a decline that will be dramatic, unless they better use the powers that they have.
Conservatives clean up, Labors lowest federal result ever.
Senate if not in conservative hands?
Abbott forces DD, Labor, hoping to bounce back not as unpleased as you may think.
Result?
Small but significant Labor revival, Liberals however control both house greens become refugees never again to hold balance of power.
ALP wins next federal election in landslide.
I sin? yes! if reminding you what 88% of us think is a sin.

Ludwig,

The Green's haven’t got a hope in hell of implementing a sustainable population policy.

Here’s a few facts & figures from their website [http://greens.org.au/policies/care-for-people/immigration-and-refugees]

Do the math’s:

1) (under) Principles
"The Australian Greens believe that:
• Australia must assess in good faith all asylum seekers who arrive on our mainland or any of our islands, without discrimination based on the method of arrival."

2) (under) Goals
"The Australian Greens want:
• asylum seekers who arrive without a valid visa to have their claims for asylum assessed while living in the community.
• planning for climate change refugees with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region."

3) (under) Measures
"The Australian Greens will:
• ensure that Australia adopts a definition of environmental refugee in its assessment criteria and works in the UN system for inclusion of a definition in the United Nations Refugee Convention."

Got the answer?

My calculation is it comes to a least half a million (and that's a conservative guesstimate)--made up from hundreds of thousands south Asians arriving on our door step bleating “I’m a climate refugee” .