PM Gillard announced today that Australia’s annual refugee intake would be boosted from 13 750 to 20 000.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19352716

Meanwhile, Labor MP Kelvin Thomson has given us a timely reminder that immigration from New Zealand is blowing right out of control. It is open slather! We are obliged to take as many Kiwis as want to come here to live. 54 000 Kiwis moved to Australia in the last year. This has increased greatly and appears to be continuing to do so.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/7534456/Shut-the-door-on-Kiwis-says-Australian-MP

So it would surely be a good time to reconsider this arrangement and considerably lower the Kiwi influx.

While we’re at it, we should be carefully reconsidering our total immigration intake and winding it progressively back to net zero.

If Gillard is really earnest about addressing carbon emissions, then she should be addressing the ever-increasing number of fossil fuel consumers in this country. In fact, it is completely contradictory to introduce a carbon tax while not doing this!

And there are many other good reasons for reducing the immigration rate right down.

Oh, and a decisive stop to fly-in visa-overstayers and asylum seekers would be good.

What about it Julia? You are trying to clean up the onshore asylum seeking debacle. So why not clean up the whole asylum seeking / refugee / immigration program at the same time?

Now why would you be worried about kiwi's moving here for a better life? Many are Christchurch earthquake, a natural disaster, refugee's, many are economic victims of low wages and high cost of living.
Kiwi's cannot draw on any Centrelink benefits, have to pay full fee for education at TAFE & Uni's and cannot vote? It is not until they become Australian citizen's can they then move forward and "reap" the benefits of this country. Many do not realise they have to register for arrival or resident status then wait the mandatory two years before applying for citizenship.
Many families are living in poverty trying to make a go and many are caught in fools gold coast, victims of con men, dodgy employers who rip them off and many are in dire straits!
Kiwi's are generally well educated, well adjusted and wonderful people who respect diversity and very tolerant of bad behaviours.
Come on over!

All good stuff babs, May we continue to welcome Kiwis as new Australian residents, but not open-endedly!

By far the most important thing is to greatly reduce our total immigration rate so that we can achieve a stable population at a level that is not too much higher than at present. And an essential part of that is to limit immigration from New Zealand.

Or perhaps not. If we were to greatly reduce overall immigration, then maybe we could continue to accommodate a large and increasing number of funny little flightless Kiwis each year!? For a while at least, until we get the total immigration rate down close to net zero (in the order of 35 000). Then the Kiwi numbers would have to drop considerably as well.

As soon as she got into power, Gillard denounced Rudd’s ‘Big Australia’. But she has done nothing whatsoever about it!

Now’s her big chance! Now, along with her changes to refugee and asylum seeker movements, and my other recommended changes to immigration, is the most excellent time for her to announce the first big cut in immigration.

Cmawwn Julia. HOW ABOUT IT!?!

Babs>> many are economic victims of low wages and high cost of living.<<

So are we Babs, poor bloody Kiwis, from the fire to the frying pan.

Ludwig abuses Julia now wants her to do something for him.
Maybe it's time for NZ to become another AU state, we wouldn't have to worry about NZ immigration.
Immigration increases were recommended along with Nauru and Manus.

Easy there Luddy old mate, with out the kiwis you'd have no tourist industry up your way. With out them there would be no staff.

I suppose it might seem like there are more than there actually are to you, as they mostly end up in north Queensland.

I only just escaped in time. Just a few months more, & I'd think it was natural to say "SEX", when I really only meant "SIX".