Dear Mr O,

Italians, Greeks, Balts, et cetera who came here after
WWII - are now few remaining. Many have died or are now
in aged care.

Their children and grand-children,
are Australian. After all we are all immigrants or
descendants of immigrants - some earlier than others -
but all with an experience of immigration.

Britain - what a mixture of people the Brits are.
The days of pedigree claims are long gone.
It's what's in one's heart that matters.

There were many so called patriots who proclaimed their loyalty
to their country during the war, yet sold out when it mattered.

Nobody can afford to get too precious about their position
or entitlements in this country because we know that
position and entitlements are comparatively new. And Australia's
immigration experience is also a broad one.

And all these immigrant communities have made successful
contributions to Australian life. When I was in hospital -
there were nurses looking after patients from a variety
of ancestries - all doing a wonderful job.
Whether we like to admit it or not. Australia
is a multicultural country.
People come from many lands here to make a life
for themselves.

All we have to do is look at Australia's history
and what a cultural backwater it once was.
Not any more.

Foxy,

If you're happy to inundate the country with non-Australian Chinese then just go ahead and open the floodgates.

But don't say I DID NOT TELL YOU SO because I TOLD YOU SO.

Dear Mr O,

There are certain criteria that the
Immigration Department has set which
requires migrants to satisfy.
It's not easy to get into Australia.

I doubt if there are, or will be any
"floodgates" that you speak of.
The government decides who can or can't come
into this country.

Foxy,

It's easy to get into Australia and even easier to stay here.

I know of one big floodgate: the Australian higher education system, where a degree is just a pathway to a permanent residency visa.

They don't come for the education, they come for the visa.

Dear Mr O,

You obviously know more than I do about China.

Foxy,

I'm a sociologist. So there's not much that slips past my attention.