Well Natham here is a subject we agree on. We need to reduce the intake of people drastically, and I suggest that the reduction of immigration should be back to net zero. In other words, if x number leave our shores in one year this should be the figure allowed in.

I would base the reduction to those groups that have shown us that they do not integrate and have scant regard for our laws and social standards. For example those groups that continue to practice FGM, polygamy and forced underage marriage.

If industry claims to need more skilled workers then we need to train our own workers in the skills required. The only reason we do not now is because it is cheaper to import them. Then why should we poach skilled workers from other countries who most likely need them far more than we do.

Which ever way you look at it, more people means more damage to our environment and more potential for social problems and lowering of our living standards.

"I would base the reduction to those groups that have shown us that they do not integrate and have scant regard for our laws and social standards. For example those groups that continue to practice FGM, polygamy and forced underage marriage"

It beggars belief that the 'diversity' tail is allowed to swing the immigration policy dog and the feds give preference to less suitable applicants, just because.

In the UK but also in Australia,
http://tinyurl.com/the-diversity-we-have-to-have

Apart from that, just how many information technology and business graduates does Australia need? Why import more?

Meanwhile, there is a constant short supply of properly trained and experienced trades, in construction for instance.

Developers and home builders would dearly love to get hold of some of the skilled trades from Northern Europe, where there are thousands of willing migrants and temporary workers who somehow miss out on the nod for Oz. They find it easy to build sub-floor areas that don't leak and cause mould, a problem that thousands of Australian homes suffer from. Likewise they build shower and wet areas that don't result in immediate rot to sub-floors and foundations.

Australia is forever playing catch-up where expensive public infrastructure and housing are concerned.

That is solely because the feds have been running an overenthusiastic immigration program for years, needing housing and infrastructure for an additional large coastal city every year. All due to additional migrant population.

Ease off immigration for just one year and solve that housing shortage claimed by Shorten as a justification for his assault on aspirational Mums&Dads investors in rental housing.

On the Beach, it recently came to light that the UK Labour Party had
a deliberate policy to bring in migrants from non British countries
to dilute the "white anglo" majority and increase diversity.
It was an unannounced policy as they did not want to make it generally
known as they thought the majority of their members would reject it.

I sometimes wonder if the Australian Labour Party has adopted the same
policy. Perhaps we will soon be calling it the Allah Labour Party.
In Birmingham the Labour Party banned women from being candidates.
Why cannot I hear the screams of the sisters from here ?
Perhaps they are drowned out by the screams of those being killed and raped in Syria.

Bazz,

Australia has always had its culturally cringing leftists. The taxpayer-funded ABC has always made a virtue out of playing favourites where the whining leftists are concerned, giving them a podium and pay (in some cases for decades!) for their free hits on Australia and on Australians too.

Where immigration is concerned, both major parties are like a hamster on a wheel. They know they should get off and do differently, but cannot.

Anyhow, they are being blackmailed by ethnic lobbyists in marginal seats. Ethnic lobbyists promoting their own interests and paid out of the bucket of taxpayers dollars. Whitlam got that going.

The general population is becoming even more exaserated at being treated as mushrooms, patronised and fed endless spin.

Joe Public, at election time: "None of the bastards ever listen or even ask, so just keep tipping them out".

Sorry, make that 'exasperated'.

Dear Aidan,

<<Yuyutsu, why do you consider nation building a threat?>>

I don't want to be part of a nation.

I came to Australia in order to escape and be free from the oppression of my nation of birth - not in order to fall into the clutches of another one.

Before choosing Australia, I was impressed by the fact that it was "behind" other countries, living closer to nature and not too encumbered by technology as others. When I arrived here, population was sparser, local communities more autonomous and all over it was more peaceful. The last thing I need is more interference, technology and regimentation directed from Canberra.

<<And what is it you think quality of live depends on other than standard of living?>>

The standard of living only includes the amounts of presumed-positive things that you have, whereas the quality of life also includes the absence of negative things, or obstacles that you do not want to have.

(note that products which are presumed-positive are not necessarily positive indeed)