Dear Foxy,

It's obvious that you see only merit in immigration (probably influenced by your own experience) but in doing so you fail to see that there is a dark side to immigration in Australia over the last several decades.

Two factors need to be taken into account (1) Australia has a very fragile environment which can only support a sustainable population of 8-9 millions in the absence of technology and science, and (2) the high rates of immigration over the past three decades have been part of a governmental program aimed to increase development as a consequence of increasing population pressure, a form of social engineering that really only benefits politicians, developers and the business community. None of it has actually been for the benefit of the nation.

So the sum of the matter is that politicians, developers and the business community have been destroying our environment for their own profit. Jared Diamond has criticised the Chinese as a particular threat to the Australian environment, saying that they are wealthy migrants who bring in lots of cash looking for a First World lifestyle; this makes the developers and business community happy but it imposes an increasing burden on a fragile environment. Or, as I would say, a prime example of how increasing global consumerism is causing total environmental destruction.

So, there might be an upside to immigration but there is also a downside. We need to achieve a balance but unfortunately the scales have tilted heavily towards the downside.

Mr Opinion, went to ABS found how many people of Chinese extraction are in Australia one point two million
I knew my thoughts would not be popular, never wanted it to look like I find near all migrants a problem
But not ignoring a truth, some are, some are even in the wrong country because they have zero respect for us
Some are here for our social welfare others by working hard are very well off ok by me
But why should we treat them [those without respect] differently than we would be treated in their country

Dear Belly and Mr Opinion,

Before entering a mosque visitors are asked to
take off their shoes. This is a sign of respect.
If you have a strong objection to walking in your
socks, don't enter the mosque.

Before becoming an Australian you will be asked to
subscribe to certain values. If you have strong objections
to those values, don't come to Australia.

It is important to explain our values, explain why they
are important and engage leadership they respect to
assist in this process. Ultimately, however it is as
important that they know that there is only one law and
it is going to be enforced whether they acknowledge its
legitimacy or not.

Of course I realise that it will be a problem if we
have a second generation - the children of immigrants who
have come to Australia - in a twilight zone where the values
of their parents old country have been lost but the values
of the new country not fully endorsed.

To deal with this we must clearly state the values of
Australia and explain how we expect them to be respected.
I suspect there would be more respect for those values
if we made more of the demanding requirements of
citizenship. No one is going to respect a citizenship that
is so undemanding that is asks nothing. In fact, our
citizenship is quite a demanding obligation.
It demands loyalty, tolerance and respect for fellow citizens
and support for a rare form of Government - democracy.

We are more likely to engender respect by emphasizing the
expectations and the obligations that the great privilege
of citizenship brings.

We have a robust tolerance of difference in our society.
But as I have kept stressing and keep stressing - to maintain
this tolerance we have to have an agreed framework which
will protect the rights and liberties of all.

And we are asking our citizens - all our citizens -
to subscribe to that framework. This is not optional.
Loyalty, democracy, tolerance, the rule of law.

How many Africans do you know?
Foxy,
Many !

Individual,

I don't believe you.

cont'd ...

Unless you mean whites from South Africa.