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Queue jumpers

The Gillard Government does finally seem determined to address the “people smuggling” issue.  The deal is to send the next 800 illegal migrants (almost all “queue-jumpers” seeking a better lifestyle) to Malaysia in exchange for accepting – over the next 4 years – 4000 refugees from Burma currently held in Malaysia.  These Burmese refugees will [...]

Population & the Environment

I’ve spilt a lot of printers ink on this topic over the years. Here is a draft of some notes I prepared for a Productivity Commission meeting next week. Comments welcome.

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Migration & population economics

For the most part I have refrained from entering into the current discussions on migration and population targeting.  My preferred approach to these issues – as an economist – is to recognise the potential for economic gains from migration and population increase and then to look for policies that guarantee resident Australians will be better [...]

Economics of population growth

Mark Crosby over at Core Economics has a post on population economics that created stress for me.  Stress because it argues an intellectual position I (and many others) have being trying to combat for many years.  

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Sense on asylum seekers

An excellent article on asylum seekers by Ken Parish.   I agree with the central argument that queue jumping should be prevented.  John Howard was right – Australia should determine who becomes a citizen of Australia.

‘Asylum seekers brought to Christmas Island and found to be genuine refugees should not be automatically granted a visa entitling [...]

Rudd Labor migration policy

One of the worst policies of the Hawke/Keating era in Australia was its migration policy.  Bob Hawke was a garrulous cry-baby with his eye keenly on the ethnic vote.  Hence he, as with many former governments, promoted ‘family-based’ rather than ‘skilled-migration’ to Australia on [...]

Illegal migration demands surge with Rudd Government policy failure

There is no doubt that Labor policy ending the Pacific Solution on queue-jumping migrants has encouraged illegal migration to Australia.  Labor is seen as ‘softer’ on border control than was the previous Howard Government despite the stench of hypocrisy amid talk of ‘toughness’ from the Labor faithful.  Whatever people may [...]