Immigration: economy, politics or survival?

November 17, 2023

Abul Rivzi has pinpointed the viciousness that will envelop political discourse on the current half-million figure of new immigrants, and the ensuing social disharmony that will follow as the right-wingers give new impetus to the race card.

Is it now time to consider the more critical issue of what might constitute a sustainable population for Australia, given the frequency with which water usage keeps re-emerging as a critical issue across most of the continent?

The economy is the main driver of argument about immigration, which has spilt over to social cohesion occasionally since World War II.

This is still a here-and-now issue, but looking forward, where does population growth need to end?

Serious damage to the Murray Darling breadbasket still remains unsolved; All state capitals bar Hobart have had to install desal plants to ensure water security. States bicker over who-gets-what from the river systems, farmers cry “we’ll be doomed” every time governments attempt to re-apportion water allocations or encourage water buy-backs. Climate change will apparently increase the floods versus drought volatility, making agriculture more difficult.

I hope Abul Rivzi might turn his clear thinking and knowledge to this bigger issue outside the political one.

Tony Tucker