Australian MP wants to slash immigration from New Zealand. What the?!

[Inverse Skies]

A recent political issue in Australia has been that of overpopulation with our predicted population set to rise to roughly 35 million by 2050. Part of the problem is our lack of resources, most importantly water, and our reluctance to build new power stations (our main ones being coal fired ones) because of the spectre of 'climate change' and because some groups see nuclear power as wrong. As part of a solution to this, Melbourne MP Kelvin Thompson has proposed that we slash numbers of Kiwi's coming to our shores, from 200,000 a year to about 70,000.

What!? That's ridiculous! Especially when you read on in the article and see that he wants to slash the number of skilled migrants from 114,000 to 25,000 and increase our intake of refugees from 6,000 to 20,000. Is it just me, or does taking in skilled migrants from a country which speaks English seem a lot more sensible than taking in refugees who may have little grasp of the language and might not be skilled. The whole point of immigration is to improve our country by taking in skilled migrants who can contribute to the economy, not dragging us down by forcing them to live on welfare or something along those lines.

I can understand that overpopulation might be a real concern, but cutting down the number of migrants from a country we've had such a close bond with (think ANZACs) and who will fit into our society well right from the beginning seems like a backwards step when it's countered by increased influx of potentially non-skilled migrants. What do you think?

Permalink:http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/mp-wants-to-slash-kiwi-migrant-influx/story-e6frf7l6-1225796714548

 

[Cowabungaa]

Oh dear, that's quite a decrease, not just for the Kiwi's. I want to migrate as well, now I wonder how the hell I'm going to do that.

 

[lostclause]

Good? You have no idea how much we complain about you guys stealing our people (known as the brain drain over here) so maybe it'll be good for us. However I don't think that it'll go through because, as you say, we are migrants who fit in well with the culture and peopel won't react well to bringing non-skilled people over skilled ones.

 

[BonsaiK]

I live in Australia and I'd migrate TO New Zealand if I could. Computer games are still legal there.

 

[thiosk]

I can understand that overpopulation might be a real concern, but cutting down the number of migrants from a country we've had such a close bond with (think ANZACs) and who will fit into our society well right from the beginning seems like a backwards step when it's countered by increased influx of potentially non-skilled migrants. What do you think?

Ha! An extra 35 million people over 40 years is NOTHING; especially with the populations of southwest asia, south america, and africa set to grow by billions over the next 40 years. Your MP is a goon. But don't worry about the power plants, the global warming maniacs' latest plans are to ring australia and africa with desalinization plants so they can turn the outback and the sahara into a lush jungle, and you'll need the skilled workers to build and operate those facilities.

 

[Nunny]

Reducing immigration from New Zealand? bah! if your going to reduce migrants it should be from Asia, not a country which is so similiar to Australia that its been proposed multiple times we become one country rather then two.

 

[Fox242]

I've been to both countries and I cannot understand why any Kiwi would leave such a beautiful place. And since when is immigration such a problem in a place like Australia? Is there something I don't know? Anyone from Australia is free to explain the issue and cure me of this embarrassing Yankee ignorance of mine.

 

[Kollega]

Bloody idiots. Why decrease migrant flow from NZ when they're basically one country? First fauna and censorship,then this. Well then,i'm going to Canada when i finish with the school.

 

[DragonsAteMyMarbles]

Waaaaaiiiit.... how is 35 million people "overpopulated"?!
Has Mr Thompson never been to the UK? Its population is almost double that, and yet it's only just bigger than Victoria.
I know the majority of Australians live on or near the coast, but it's a really big coast.

 

[Nunny]

Waaaaaiiiit.... how is 35 million people "overpopulated"?!
Has Mr Thompson never been to the UK? Its population is almost double that, and yet it's only just bigger than Victoria.
I know the majority of Australians live on or near the coast, but it's a really big coast.

Despite our size Australia is unable to support a large population due to limited resources needed to sustain it, expecially fresh water.

We are already struggling now, imagine what it would be like with a few more million to support.

 

[Labyrinth]

I'm one of those Kiwis who hopped the ditch. Admitted, about 14 years ago now and currently have dual citizenship. This kind of thing strikes me as politicians seeking a quick fix to a problem in the infrastructure, and a problem generated by a population bubble moving swiftly for retirement age. Similar thing's happened in Italy in that regard and now they have about 50% of the population nearing retirement or already into it.

Closing the gates is not the answer. Infrastructure and employment is.

 

[DragonsAteMyMarbles]

Waaaaaiiiit.... how is 35 million people "overpopulated"?!
Has Mr Thompson never been to the UK? Its population is almost double that, and yet it's only just bigger than Victoria.
I know the majority of Australians live on or near the coast, but it's a really big coast.

Despite our size Australia is unable to support a large population due to limited resources needed to sustain it, expecially fresh water.

We are already struggling now, imagine what it would be like with a few more million to support.

Didn't think of that. Whoopsie.

 

[Eleuthera]

Ha! An extra 35 million people over 40 years is NOTHING;

It's not an extra 35M, it grow to 35M (from about 22M at the moment).

I can see water being a problem, everything else shouldn't be too difficult to overcome.

 

[BonsaiK]

stuff

Every Australia who isn't Aboriginal is an immigrant or descended from immigrants. English people misbehaved shockingly when they came to Australia, they sure as hell didn't "integrate" into the cultural climate at the time at all, in any way whatsoever. By contrast the overwhelmingly large majority of current migrants integrate into the current Australian cultural climate beautifully. There's always a very slim minority that the media focuses on to drum up racial hatred (because firing people up brings ratings) but I've never met an immigrant in person that didn't like Australian culture and wasn't EXTREMELY grateful to be here.

As for the OP, yeah it's an issue because most of Australia is desert and incapable of supporting anything. But looking at the numbers, the OVERALL numbers are going down and that's a good thing. As for the disparity between skilled migrants and refugees, that's probably due to age demographics, because ageing population is an issue for Australia too. A lot of NZ migrants are older, whereas refugees are usually younger. And just because someone isn't skilled doesn't mean that they can't GET skilled, that's why we have technical colleges and universities. Besides, there's still far more NZ migrants than refugees coming in per year even if these changes go through. 70,000 is still a hell of a lot of Kiwis.

 

[ClaptonKnophlerHendrix]

Waaaaaiiiit.... how is 35 million people "overpopulated"?!
Has Mr Thompson never been to the UK? Its population is almost double that, and yet it's only just bigger than Victoria.
I know the majority of Australians live on or near the coast, but it's a really big coast.

Yeah thats true, but we our country is almost entirely desert which is unuseable to the population for pretty much anything, it would put a HUGE strain on our resources.

EDIT: Ninja'ed

 

[ClaptonKnophlerHendrix]

-snip-

Pretty much 100% agreed.
EDIT: oops sorry double post.

 

[Nunny]

stuff

Every Australia who isn't Aboriginal is an immigrant or descended from immigrants. English people misbehaved shockingly when they came to Australia, they sure as hell didn't "integrate" into the cultural climate at the time at all, in any way whatsoever. By contrast the overwhelmingly large majority of current migrants integrate into the current Australian cultural climate beautifully. There's always a very slim minority that the media focuses on to drum up racial hatred (because firing people up brings ratings) but I've never met an immigrant in person that didn't like Australian culture and wasn't EXTREMELY grateful to be here.

As for the OP, yeah it's an issue because most of Australia is desert and incapable of supporting anything. But looking at the numbers, the OVERALL numbers are going down and that's a good thing. As for the disparity between skilled migrants and refugees, that's probably due to age demographics, because ageing population is an issue for Australia too. A lot of NZ migrants are older, whereas refugees are usually younger. And just because someone isn't skilled doesn't mean that they can't GET skilled, that's why we have technical colleges and universities. Besides, there's still far more NZ migrants than refugees coming in per year even if these changes go through. 70,000 is still a hell of a lot of Kiwis.

Well technicaly Aboriginee's are also decendent from Immigrants, though there is about 80,000 year difference.

 

[BonsaiK]

stuff

Every Australia who isn't Aboriginal is an immigrant or descended from immigrants. English people misbehaved shockingly when they came to Australia, they sure as hell didn't "integrate" into the cultural climate at the time at all, in any way whatsoever. By contrast the overwhelmingly large majority of current migrants integrate into the current Australian cultural climate beautifully. There's always a very slim minority that the media focuses on to drum up racial hatred (because firing people up brings ratings) but I've never met an immigrant in person that didn't like Australian culture and wasn't EXTREMELY grateful to be here.

As for the OP, yeah it's an issue because most of Australia is desert and incapable of supporting anything. But looking at the numbers, the OVERALL numbers are going down and that's a good thing. As for the disparity between skilled migrants and refugees, that's probably due to age demographics, because ageing population is an issue for Australia too. A lot of NZ migrants are older, whereas refugees are usually younger. And just because someone isn't skilled doesn't mean that they can't GET skilled, that's why we have technical colleges and universities. Besides, there's still far more NZ migrants than refugees coming in per year even if these changes go through. 70,000 is still a hell of a lot of Kiwis.

Well technicaly Aboriginee's are also decendent from Immigrants, though there is about 80,000 year difference.

Well yes, this is probably true. But that 80,000 years difference is quite a difference. It's hardly the point I was trying to make though.