Post #21 Hire a Hall / Everything (This very tired brown land)

The big shock last month was the announcement by the Australian government of an immigration quota increase. If ever there was something this country didn't need, there it is.

I've read a book by Mark O'Connor, a while ago now, which I found a very moderate and reasonable treatment of Australia's role as an immigration recipient. It's called This Tired Brown Land (1998) and it's essential reading for everyone who wants to be informed on the topic. The scholarly studies by demographers are impenetrable to the layperson, the diatribes of the bigots are tiresome and offer no substantiation. This little book covers the topic in a calm and friendly manner that persuades with common sense.

After reading it I wondered why Australians have any difficulty in seeing the weirdness and folly of our current population "policy". In fact it goes a long way to prove that we have no such policy.

In light of our worsening water supply, our degrading arable land, the stress on our power supply systems, public hospitals, transport infrastructure and anything else you can shake a stick at that's going down the gurgler - why the hell are we loading the boat further?

What I find most striking in this work is the explanation of the role played by the interest groups who promote immigration. Their interest doesn't seem to coincide with the long-term welfare of the nation. I detect the presence of the same people who are the "usual suspects" in the cause of multiculturalism. These are the (usually self-appointed) "ethnic community representatives" who start squawking about racism whenever anyone tries to take a sensible look at the population issue. Keeping up a constant flow of "clients" for their "ethnic" organisations is a motivating force behind this behaviour. Then there are the industry groups who would rather import ready-made labour than train current Australian citizens. The fact that they like to obtain them from countries where labour organisation is a scarce commodity is also an indicator of a motive.

The current Australian immigration policy is a good model of a pyramid scheme. The point will come where it blows out and the last ones aboard will be up the proverbial waterway without means of propulsion. And the rest of us will be right there with them.