Debate on population targets immigrants STEPHANIE PEATLING January 24, 2010
Australia shouldconsider whether immigration can continue at existing levels as part ofa comprehensive population analysis aimed at determining how manypeople the country can support, the Federal Opposition says.
Concernsabout infrastructure, housing and environmental sustainability shouldbe considered when setting the number of people allowed to immigrateeach year, Coalition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said.''Population policy is a legitimate debate we have to have and itshould be free from any suggestion that it's related to race.''
Populationpolicy was a void that needed to be filled, he said. ''It's getting tothe point where we can't afford not to [have one]. We can't just keepgoing as is.''
Treasury modelling released last yearforecast the population would increase more than half to 35 million bythe middle of the century. The increase will come from migration, morewomen reaching child-bearing age and higher fertility rates.
PrimeMinister Kevin Rudd welcomed the modelling, saying he was in favour ofa big Australia. But it prompted criticism from Labor backbencherKelvin Thomson, who has questioned whether the country can support sucha population.
Mr Thomson has called for dramatic cuts to immigration levels.
MrMorrison said he did not believe Australia should ''shut the door'' toimmigrants but ''given that immigration accounts for almost 60 per centof population growth, we can do something about it''.
He acknowledged population was a difficult issue because it often sparked debate about racism.
''Idon't want to see it frustrated by people either bringing that elementto the debate or trying to stop that debate by attributing that motiveto people,'' Mr Morrison said.
His comments follow aspeech by the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, on Friday night in whichhe said Australians were worried about the rise in the number of boatpeople, the ability of migrants to obey the law and the strain newarrivals put on resources.
Mr Morrison said state and local governments should take a greater role in planning for more people.
''TheFederal Government has to take responsibility for it [immigrationnumbers], but state and local governments need to be more part of [thatdecision] because they're the ones who have to live with it,'' he said.
Concernsabout roads, housing, the strain on the health system and environmentalsustainability all needed to be considered as part of populationpolicy, he said.
An annual planning day of governments should be held to discussion population, he said.
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