To say; "We don't need any immigration. Ever." is a simplistic belief that Australia can operate in isolation from the rest of the world, without any economic or humanitarian considerations when it comes to immigration. While I agree with Dick that migration has to be carefully monitored, and adjusted to suit the sustainability of the nation, we should be careful not to allow oversimplified concerns to cloud the issue. Hard right politicians like Hanson and Bernardi try to blame population, and by default immigration, exclusively for economic and social ills. The problems of housing affordability, employment, social welfare, terrorism etc, although impacted by immigration to some degree, it is not the exclusive cause of those problems. Poor government decisions weigh heavily on social and economic issues. While we must control immigration for our mutual benefit, we should not lose sight that there are other factors that also need addressing if Australia is to remain the preeminent society it is.

http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2017/08/16/dick-smith-population-populism/

Paul,

"Poor government" is the only problem with Australia, now. And it includes the government's uneccessary and and costly immigration
policy, adhered to also by the opposition and, most strangely, that champion of the environment and sustainability, your very own Greens.

Do the Greens even have an immigration policy these days?

ttbn, as a legitimate political party The Australian Greens have a comprehensive 29 point Immigration Policy. A policy formulated through grass roots consultation and decision making, a democratic process. A simple 'Google' will reveal that policy to you.

Unlike the Greens policy which has it basis in humanity and strives for inclusion, I found on reading the policy of the Australian Conservatives that it contained a high degree of malice and bitterness towards immigrants.
As a member, can you enlighten us as to how this policy was derived? Is it simply the machinations of one Cory Bernardi, did you or other members have input, and if so how?

Greens lost any pretension of being able to claim an interest in the environment and sustainability when they chose to adopt Sarah 'Patrol Boat' HY's 'Open Door' immigration policy. That was to claim headlines for virtue signalling, competing with Labor for the lunar far left vote.

It was virtue signalling headlines or Australia's environment and sustainability and the protest party Greens chose virtue signalling as the better prospect to stir and get headlines. Hypocrisy.

While on the subject, SHY, Sarah Hanson-Young, is an example of the sort of life inexperienced but opinionated, bossy-boots 'career' politician, criticised by ex-PMs Hawke and Howard.

Paul1405, we ARE isolated from the rest of the world.
Look at Australia on Google Earth.

There are no countries nearby that have "refugee" crises that I'm aware of.
Refugees are passing several other countries to get to Australia, thereby invalidating their claim to "refugee" status under international law.

Economically, "free" trade disadvantages us, due to our isolation.
That adds freight costs that aren't a problem for most other advanced development countries (e.g trade with the EU).

What "free" trade does is flood our country with cheap imports, annihilating any possibility of local production.
"Globalism" isn't even truly global. Who benefits? China.
Look in Kmart. EVERYTHING is made in China. They should call it Cmart.

When was the last time you saw anything made in Bulgaria, made in Madagascar, made in Peru?
No, just made in China, made in China, made in China.

"Poor government decisions weigh heavily on social and economic issues."

One of those poor decisions being excessive immigration.

Another being not training people with the oh-so-urgently-necessary "skills" people claim we need immigrants for.
If third world countries can train those skills, why can't we?
I thought we had one of the best education systems in the world? What happened to it?

We would never be completely "isolated" from the world, not matter what restrictions on trade or immigration there are.
This is the information age, the internet age.
The "world" (or rather "worlds", there are many, not one) is right at your fingertips.

Shockadelic, refugees are not arriving through other countries, they are located in camps in countries far removed from Australia. I believe we have a humanitarian duty to resettle some of those people. just as we have a duty to re-unite families when the opportunity is presented. You may not agree with me on that score, that is your prerogative.
As a trading nation, we cannot expect our largest trading partner China, and others, to tolerate us putting up barriers to imports, whilst expecting them to take out exports. Trade is a two way street.
"I thought we had one of the best education systems in the world?" We do and we are producing top class people. I recall John Key the New Zealand PM complaining bitterly about the brain drain from NZ, and it was going to Australia, giving us ready made skilled people at no cost to us, but a a big cost to them.