Australia it’s not racist to be worried about immigration

[TruthTheOnlyDefense]

IMMIGRATION built Australia, but planning for our future is smart, not racist, writes Peta Credlin. And it’s a conversation our national leaders need to have.

A COUPLE of days ago, I spent the morning out in Bennelong because I don’t think you can ever judge a campaign unless you get out and talk to real people.

The issue of population has always been a political concern I’ve watched closely but even I was surprised by how potent this issue was locally: overcrowded streets, busy roads, nowhere to park, overdevelopment, unaffordable housing, cramped schools and too many high-rises.

Time and again this is what was raised with me and it’s all code for a level of population growth that ordinary people feel is out of step with their local community.

Now there are a number of factors that contribute to population. There’s the rate we replace ourselves — new births versus deaths, and there’s the number of people moving here each year, and the number who leave.

For many years, as a nation, we have accepted immigrants from around the world — it’s part of what makes Australia unique. If you’re not the child of an indigenous Australian, you’re the child of an immigrant. I am — my family came here in the mid 1800s — and I support continued immigration.

Karen Kore from Papua New Guinea, Dindin Khaing from Myanmar, Daniella Kerrigan from the Philippines and Saowawe Tsongkam from Thailand at a multicultural festival. Few would argue Australia is built on immigrants. (Pic: Anna Rogers)Source:News Corp Australia

But that’s not the issue.

“Should we keep taking immigrants?” is not the question.

Instead it’s “how many immigrants do we take”?

When working out an optimum population size for Australia, we should take into consideration matters such as our job market, housing supply, infrastructure and scarce resources like water.

I know I speak for many people when I say this is the conversation they want to see their leaders having — indeed their nation having — rather than being shouted down, as racists or worse.

Right now, as Australians, we’re not replacing ourselves — our fertility rate is only 1.79 births per woman — so our population increases are coming from immigration. How big we want our population in the future is determined by how many people we take from overseas every year.

Over the past 40 years, our net migration intake (calculated by number of people arriving to stay, less the number who permanently depart) has varied from around 68,000 per year, to as high as 315,700 under Kevin Rudd in 2008. In ABS data out last week, in the 12 months to July this year, Australia’s net migration intake was 245,400.

Nyembezi Zulu, Mavuto Zulu, Shanice Zulu, Shanelle Mbalenhle Zulu, and Monica Zulu became Australian citizens in Alice Springs in September. (Pic: Emma Murray)Source:News Corp Australia

One of the highest numbers in years, this increase is up 27 per cent from the previous year and took Australia’s total population to 24.6 million. Victorians are being hit hardest by population pressures with increases well above the national average. Indeed, with over 144,000 new residents, Victoria’s growth was the highest in the nation and almost seven times what was recorded in WA.

All of this in a state where Premier Dan Andrews charged the Victorian taxpayers $1 billion not to build a road at a time when new infrastructure is desperately needed.

Isn’t it about time we had a national conversation about how big we want our population in the future, with an eye to the standard of living we want all Australians to enjoy, and put in place immigration levels to deliver it — rather than pretending this issue doesn’t exist?

From what I know of Canberra, it’s treasurers who want to see higher and higher growth forecasts in the Budget, and bureaucrats who fight for increased levels of immigration, because it’s a lazy way to pump up the books.

I recall plenty of battles in the Abbott government where the then PM wanted numbers brought down to better manage population increases in our big cities because we can say new arrivals should move to regional areas, but no government has ever been able to make that policy work and more and more, they live in our biggest cities.

In Monday’s Mid Year economic update, I’ll be watching this issue closely.

If nothing else, I think we need to take a pause in Australia’s immigration intake, so we can settle the population here now, into affordable housing and secure jobs, and let the infrastructure that’s being built, catch-up.

Planning for Australia’s future is smart, it isn’t racist and it’s the national conversation we want our political leaders to lead.

Originally published as It’s not racist to be worried about immigration

http://www.news.com.au/news/its-not...n/news-story/c5831cad88603b56cbd6faaab6e55bdc

 

[CriticalThought]

A very good article. In addition to discussing the number of immigrants, we also need to discuss how we are going to develop the infrastructure for our target population, I.e., the sum total of immigrants and locals.

 

[TruthTheOnlyDefense]

A very good article. In addition to discussing the number of immigrants, we also need to discuss how we are going to develop the infrastructure for our target population, I.e., the sum total of immigrants and locals.

Yep that the whole point we need to have a debate

 

[CriticalThought]

Yep that the whole point we need to have a debate

The traffic situation in the morning is horrible.

 

[TruthTheOnlyDefense]

The traffic situation in the morning is horrible.

I agree even in the evening the traffic is very bad.

 

[CriticalThought]

I agree even in the evening the traffic is very bad.

What stumps me is the government's ongoing plans for tram lines in the CBD still doesn't address the root cause: thus entire infrastructure was developed for a very different population level. They are going to shift the pressures from CBD to adjacent areas. I expect queues on the harbor bridge to grow ever longer. And creating more toll roads doesn't help either. Everyone just chokes up the non toll roads.

 

[TruthTheOnlyDefense]

What stumps me is the government's ongoing plans for tram lines in the CBD still doesn't address the root cause: thus entire infrastructure was developed for a very different population level. They are going to shift the pressures from CBD to adjacent areas. I expect queues on the harbor bridge to grow ever longer. And creating more toll roads doesn't help either. Everyone just chokes up the non toll roads.

I'm in Melbourne and it's getting bad here they are spending $1 billion on a new freeway that might help but we need more roads, trains etc so we need to curb the immigration at least until we can improve our infrastructure we don't want to become like Mexico, Pakistan, China etc.

 

[ARMalik]

Traffic wise and for infrastructure in general, Sydney is just horrible. I use to love Sydney of 20 years ago - so cool. Now everything is, sorry to use this word, F..ked thanks to these greedy clowns in the government. I don't want to sound like a racist but due to greed the government allowed a specific group of asian people to uncontrollably immigrate to Australia. And unfortunately this group through use of money, including black money, was able to concentrate its money in property and create speculation in property prices which has really made the lives of ordinary Aussies hell. Ordinary Aussies can't even afford to live in Sydney anymore. All the schools have a waiting list, so have the hospitals, and so on. And what is worst is that these same clowns in the government, be it Liberal or Labor a-holes, are turning Melbourne into another Sydney.

 

[CriticalThought]

I'm in Melbourne and it's getting bad here they are spending $1 billion on a new freeway that might help but we need more roads, trains etc so we need to curb the immigration at least until we can improve our infrastructure we don't want to become like Mexico, Pakistan, China etc.

Agreed. Though putting complete moratorium on immigration might not be feasible because of labor shortages. A judicious balance needs to be struck between industry trying to lower wages by campaigning for relaxed immigration rules (thus more supply) vs. genuine labor shortages.

 

[TruthTheOnlyDefense]

Traffic wise and for infrastructure in general, Sydney is just horrible. I use to love Sydney of 20 years ago - so cool. Now everything is, sorry to use this word, F..ked thanks to these greedy clowns in the government. I don't want to sound like a racist but due to greed the government allowed a specific group of asian people to uncontrollably immigrate to Australia. And unfortunately this group through use of money, including black money, was able to concentrate its money in property and create speculation in property prices which has really made the lives of ordinary Aussies hell. Ordinary Aussies can't even afford to live in Sydney anymore. All the schools have a waiting list, so have the hospitals, and so on. And what is worst is that these same clowns in the government, be it Liberal or Labor a-holes, are turning Melbourne into another Sydney.

Yeah exactly and now we are turning into a third world country ourselves we need we need to curb immigration until we can sort ourselves out these people who come here from Asian countries have no respect for Australia and they have to balls to call us racist we need to do what's best for Australia.

Agreed. Though putting complete moratorium on immigration might not be feasible because of labor shortages. A judicious balance needs to be struck between industry trying to lower wages by campaigning for relaxed immigration rules (thus more supply) vs. genuine labor shortages.

Yeah agreed with this we need to stop people coming here with fake visas etc a lot needs to be done and we should have done yesterday.

 

[CriticalThought]

Yeah exactly and now we are turning into a third world country ourselves we need we need to curb immigration until we can sort ourselves out these people who come here from Asian countries have no respect for Australia and they have to balls to call us racist we need to do what's best for Australia.

In terms of the housing market, just immigration won't help. We need to curb inflow of cash into the property market that is creating an artificial bubble.

 

[TruthTheOnlyDefense]

In terms of the housing market, just immigration won't help. We need to curb inflow of cash into the property market that is creating an artificial bubble.

Yep that and a lot of other things need to be done in Australia we are lucky to live in Australia but slowly but surely we are going backwards.

 

[CriticalThought]

Yeah exactly and now we are turning into a third world country ourselves we need we need to curb immigration until we can sort ourselves out these people who come here from Asian countries have no respect for Australia and they have to balls to call us racist we need to do what's best for Australia.



Yeah agreed with this we need to stop people coming here with fake visas etc a lot needs to be done and we should have done yesterday.

It's not even fake visas. The industry has a say in deciding which occupations are on the immigration list, and how many immigrants should be granted visas. They can misrepresent to create a supply side surplus.

Then there is the issue of Aussie grads finding greener pastures overseas. Places like New York and London simply offer better opportunities and exposure to cutting edge. Then there is a cultural aversion to scientific and rigorous fields. In the unis, there is a huge intake of international students many of whom then find pathways to permanent residence and eventually citizenship.

The silver lining is that offsprings from these migrants are attracted towards scientific fields so over time we should see more Aussie heads in these fields.

 

[Kompromat]

Australia is by and large a racist society, there's a progressive minority, especially its youth who are flexible with racism. This phenomenon is institutionalized in Australia, it is reflected and represented in its policies, especially its immigration laws. Native English speakers are preferred over competence. Things are particularly hard for Muslims in the workplaces, education institutions and in public spaces. General population is capable of being racist if you can push the right buttons.

 

[CriticalThought]

Australia is by and large a racist society, there's a progressive minority, especially its youth who are flexible with racism. This phenomenon is institutionalized in Australia, it is reflected and represented in its policies, especially its immigration laws. Native English speakers are preferred over competence. Things are particularly hard for Muslims in the workplaces, education institutions and in public spaces. General population is capable of being racist if you can push the right buttons.

So why do you push the wrong buttons? A smile and politeness has opened doors for me always. Yes, I have come across bad behavior, but it is so minute that it is insignificant. I feel more secure in Australia than on the streets of Karachi.