Healthcare wha-? The new election issue de jour is Australia’s population and how — or whether — to curb it, with both parties fighting to appear tough on immigration and tap into Australians’ growing anxiety over news that we are the fastest growing population in the developed world.
On Saturday, the PM gave Agriculture Minister Tony Burke the new portfolio of ‘Population” and the task of producing a “population plan” for the nation. Over on Crikey’s The Stump blog, Canberra correspondent Bernard Keane says the appointment and plan is just Rudd’s way of “doing something” on population growth without actually, y’know, doing something:
The Prime Minister can now say that he has appointed the first Population Minister. A review is under way, giving Rudd an excuse to duck the issue between now and the election, but also providing the basis for a response to the Little Australianists like Dick Smith whenever they demand action to curb the plague of people coming here and eating our food.
Yesterday, the Opposition further fueled debate by announcing it would cut net migration levels to Australia, before leader Tony Abbott appeared on ABC’s Q&A, turning the fiery issue into what is sure to be a raging inferno this week by declaring that Jesus wouldn’t have accepted every asylum seeker, either.
Look out for more contributions to the debate in today’s Crikey Daily Mail, including an extract from Malcolm Fraser’s new book The Political Memoirs on immigration and a bigger Australia, thoughts from Professor Peter McDonald, a key adviser on the government’s Intergenerational Report, and more opinion and analysis from Crikey‘s team of commentators.
Here’s what the commentariat has been saying this morning and over the weekend, while you were too busy stuffing your face with chocolate and hot cross buns to read the papers:
The Australian
Editorial: Planning for prosperity and a bigger Australia
… the Rudd government should be bold in planning for a big Australia.
Glenn Milne: ‘Big country’ grows into a big problem
… this will not be a debate about migration or race. Abbott will seek to turn it into a debate about government competence.
Michael Stutchbury: How to defuse population bomb
… the population bomb pressures generated by a decade or two of China-fuelled growth could end up exploding the sacred cow of Australia’s deeply-entrenched tiers of political governance.
The Age
Editorial: Challenges of ‘big Australia’ demand attention
It would be dangerous and immoral for this vast, sparsely populated continent to close its doors
Courier Mail
Dennis Atkins: Labor mixes its messages over population debate
Because this debate was becoming indistinguishable from the parallel discussion about asylum seekers arriving by boat, it was getting out of hand.
Herald Sun
Phillip Hudson: Size matters when it comes to population debate
Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott both endorsed a Big Australia but now seem to be less sure.
Susie O’Brien: A boat load of rubbish
… what Australian governments do doesn’t really affect who tries to come here and why.
The main support for a ‘big’ Australia is from business which sees cheap labour and a local consumer market. Given that both sides of politics are representatives of corporate interests, the only thing that is giving them pause is whether the populace will be stupid enough to let them get away with population increase without expecting appropriate investment in infrastructure. More water, roads, hospitals, schools, rail etc are not going to be paid for by the business lobby – in the brave new market politics thats the governments problem. That and saving them from ever suffering the consequences of a bad business decision.
Tony Abbott appeared on ABC’s Q&A, turning the fiery issue into what is sure to be a raging inferno this week by declaring that Jesus wouldn’t have accepted every asylum seeker, either.
He was asked the question,
” What would Jesus do” (stupid question) And when he answered he said he doesn’t like answering those sort of questions but would do his best. He also laughed when he answered.
Why do journo’s continually bait Abbott about religion, and then quickly repeat it in the MSN as if Abbott is preaching. Give the religion slant a break Please! Or else ask Kevin the same silly religious questions.
‘ The new election de jour….’
BINGO! There you have it!
THIS is the political manipulation that goes on. THIS issue is the biggie. THIS is the issue that can make – or break the incumbent Gov.
SO: here it is. Out of the blue? Oh sure…..
What a malleable lot we are……………and most of us don’t even realise it.
Why should we? It gives us a sanctioned king hit at ‘them’.
By God! we WILL decide who comes to OUR country.
when Kevin Rudd allows himself to be photographed on the cover of his party newsletter cradling a photograph of the Pope, then the media will indeed bait him with the same silly religious questions
http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2008/06/13/va1237313585303/Tony-Abbott-6091795.jpg
There is only one way that both the major parties will baulk from the current policies of ‘growing’ the Australian population at the behest of their big business donors, that control the purse strings of both parties, and at odds with what 70% of ordinary Australians want.
And that is for enough people to not vote for either major party at the next federal election so that, as in Tasmania, niether major party can form government on its own. Vote Greens, independants or Staple Population Party of Australia.
Nothing will send a message to labour, liberal and big business louder than this!