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hardeep singh on The Taxi Industry hi, iwant to get atexi plate on rent or lease in brisbane can you let me know about this. thanks more
tee on Halal certification I found a leggos sauce, straight in the bin it goes. Master foods don't seem to have the symbol and nestle. I know it's not ... more
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Luana on Learning from one another? Lucy and Linus (who where brother and sietsr) had another little brother named Rerun. (He sometimes played left-field on ... more
Gabby on Learning from one another? Would be good to get some background from Fjordman on this. As we may be mnissig some cultural or political nuance or ... more
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Kim on Crime Mapping Gavin's suggestions about how to treat the incarcerated would probably breach human rights. Addicts should be treated, and ... more
susan on Halal certification bye dick smiths products he is not certified go onto halalchoices.com.au and see the list of companys that are there you ... more
susan on Halal certification we must boycott halal certified products 2% of everything we bye with the mark goes to terrorists and there religon these ... more
Jennifer on Halal certification Goodgrief Timtam ... I can't believe you think that Islamic guidelines are healthier in terms of hygiene than our Australian ... more
Jennifer on Halal certification This is Australia not Islam. We built this country with hard labour and not for immigrants to come in and take over. ... more
phil.k. on Halal certification lets get politicans to ban this practice as they have in NZ.It is slowly deviding aussie in to religious groups,next ... more
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Michael on Halal certification The Halal Choices website is http://www.halalchoices.com.au/product_lists.htmlIt lists all the products that have been ... more
a barker on A few facts on illegal boat people We are the Lucky Country, or are we?.15 years ago maybe.How many Indonesian Officials are taking a a bribe from the people ... more
Robin on The Boats Hey,Thanks! Great post you have written on "The Boats ".Really I can say that your post is very informative, I'll come ... more

The Growth Illusion

Posted by: Michael Smith | 7 April, 2010 - 1:02 PM

It’s amazing what a few focus groups can do to change a politicians mind.

A few months ago Mr Rudd was emphatic. He made no apologies for saying that he was in favour of a “big Australia”. That came two years into Australia’s largest immigration program since World War Two, with Mr Rudd’s Government importing more than 300,000 people every year, more than double the rate of immigration under the Howard Government.

None of us were asked our opinion about Mr Rudd’s “big Australia” before the last election. With the evidence of the “big Australia” on our roads, hospitals, water systems and housing prices – it’s now clear to us all it’s become a very important political debate.

Mr Rudd’s response has been to try to neutralise the issue by adding the word “population” to Minister Tony Burke’s title. The Population Minister has been given 12 months to report back to the government and to produce a strategy/policy for our country’s population. No one should miss the timing of that – Minister Burke’s report and policy statement will come out after the next election.

South East Queensland is feeling the brunt of this country’s population growth. 2,200 people are moving to Queensland every week, with the majority moving to the South East. You and I know it; we can see it in the traffic every day.

The Premier held a “Growth Summit” last week. I’ve spoken to a number of people who were there – I’m told there were no papers or speeches that were in favour of limiting our growth. It’s as if slowing down immigration is not an option. We’re told that population growth is a good thing and a given – and that the only thing that’s open to question is “how do we best manage the growth?”

Well I have one question for the Premier. If the population growth we’ve seen over the past 20 years is so great, how is it that after a mining boom and all that growth, we’ve got traffic gridlock, hospitals with ambulances ramped out the front, waiting lists of 6 years and more for surgery, continuing water restrictions, road tolls on all our new major roads, no suburban metro system, a new 8.3c fuel tax, rego, electricity, water, rates through the roof – and after all of that, all of the 30 years of boom times, we’ve amassed $85 billion in state debt?

When will the growth start to deliver us a better life? If our economy is just growing at the same rate as our population, how are we any better off? And with our national debt growing and growing and growing, an someone please answer the most important question – how much has each of these extra people who come to this country cost us?

Blog comments

@Stephen, Are you kidding. You say that Abbott will say anything under pressure... Well what about your treasonous mate Mr Crudd and his iron clad guarantee about taking over the hospitals if the states didn't take care of business. He didn't have the stones to do it properly and watered the deal down that far it was ridiculous. Maybe before you leap to the defence of a man who has almost bankrupted this country, and is more than happy to borrow tens of millions of dollars to give to African countries in what is little more than a bribe to win their votes for a seat on the security council, you might think a little more about things before commenting. Also what about his watered down policy of illegal que jumpers, that's been another absolute Failure and let's not mention the illegal que jumpers hidden in the Northside Hotel without the public's knowledge. Time to switch to the opposition so they can clean up labour's mess YET AGAIN!!!

Darryl Tuesday 18 May, 2010 - 3:53 PM
@Stephen...
Settle steve. Here's a couple of exerpts from your Mark Latham in his book.. on the subject of your hero, KRUDDY.
Abbott is probably the closest thing to "fair dinkum" that we have in politics.

"It was becoming quite sad. Then he said words that I will never forget: 'I swear on my mother's grave that The Australian story is wrong, totally wrong, and that I've been loyal to you and will continue to be loyal to your leadership'.

I don't mind people bullshitting to me in politics, but not like this. Last week he rang around Caucus to gauge the mood after our loss, and told Trish Crossin that my leadership was on notice: I had until the Budget Reply speech next May to prove myself. He's always bagging me to journal ists and that's not going to change any time soon. I don't trust him, no matter what he says".

Wobblyone Tuesday 18 May, 2010 - 1:55 PM
Media cynicism?! What about the deeply disillusioned public, who trusted Kevin Rudd when he said Hi! My name is Kevin, I am from Queensland and I am here to help! The inconvenient truth is Labor has lost its sense of purpose and no longer represents the core values the party was founded upon.

I repeatedly brought the issue of judicial abuse and judicial corruption against an unrepresented bullied schoolboy to Kevin Rudd and Robert McClellands attention, but they both ignored me. And so has Anna Bligh, who laughed at me in Parliament, when I brought this issue to her attention, before I was violently ejected as reported by the foreign media in Armed Police Eject Mother From Queensland Parliament http://mathaba.net/news/?x=620379

In June 2009 I personally met Kevin Rudd at the Beenleigh Community Cabinet Forum, where I again brought this matter to his attention and handed him a letter with my grievances. He took my letter, walked away and that was the end of the matter.

I also brought this issue to Cameron Dicks attention at the 4BC Forum on 17.03.2010, where Mr Dick promised me action on camera. What I said to him about the repeated unlawful editing of courtroom audio tapes and transcripts to pervert the course of justice, was televised on the news and also published in this video clip by Brisbane Times, which published my related comment no. 13 in the comments section in full. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/top-cop-steps-in-to-protect-attorneygeneral-20100317-qfd9.html

I dont believe this is an honourable way to behave towards an Australian citizen to say the least.

Bullied schoolboy wants Kevin Rudd to address judicial corruption http://www.mathaba.net/0_index.shtml?x=618292

Jennifer Nash Tuesday 18 May, 2010 - 11:19 AM
In spite of the media's cynicism, most politicians, even Rudd enter parliament with good intentions planning to tell it how it really is. It doesn't always pan out like that. Tony Abbott however seems to be saying that he tells people what they want to hear especially under pressure if he is not scripted. Now he is telling himself what he wants to hear and seems to believe it makes sense. It makes no sense. It just sopunds crazy. Abbott's gospel seems to be whatever you want it to be. We laugh but if he is to be our PM no one is laughing now just very concerned at his unpredictability and lack of economic knowledge at a time of grave concern for our economy. Time to change to Andrew Robb. The Coalition loves change.

Stephen Tuesday 18 May, 2010 - 8:47 AM
Noticed the change in Kevin Michael Rudd. He's run down; his demeanour changed. No longer is he seen as the saviour but the destroyer. This pathetic man has wasted $Billions, "but him no care". Kev wanted a population of 36 million, a figure plucked from the air. Any wonder the Australian People have turned off him. Do you recall when Rudd, Gillard, the Ministry or Caucas have been honest with us and asked "What vision we had for our great Nation." With arrogance, they have, in Socialist fashion dictated what we WILL have and we don't like it. Our youth have turned off Rudd, his popularity has plummeted. The "pro Labour Media" have put forward his deputy M/s Julia Gillard, and are they pushing her, but do we want "Butch" - I don't think so. Seems to me that the Oz. People are falling for "that little Aussie Battler" Tony Abbott; the Labour Party is in panic mode and don't get our message; as a team, Rudd, Gillard, Swann are the most unpopular and incompetent this nation has ever had. So get the message loud and clear, we don't want to see favouritism given to Illegal Immigrants, we don't want to see our Christian Nation Islamised through stealth; we don't want to see the faces of some women hidden from view; and the list goes on. The forced changes to our Nation by Rudd and the Socialist Left of his party are a failure. Get over it. Call me what you will, racist, anti Islamic, anything you like; but I care for my Nation, my God and most importantly my Grandkids; frankly I don't know how much more of this Social Experiment I can take!!!! What about you??

Phil of Springwood Monday 17 May, 2010 - 8:49 AM
@Phil of Springwood...
Phil. What say we form a little association and under the banner of the crucifix, we apply for certification of our foods. We could insist that the crucifix logo be placed in front of the halal sign on all those foods we think are suitable for Christians to eat.
We could then approach all those companies on the basis that for a contribution to our group, the profits of our group will go to charities of our selection.
And for that of course, those Companies would be assured that their products will not be contaminated in any way by our organisation.
Does that seem to you like a worthwhile little scam? or not?
Wobblyone.

Wobblyone Saturday 1 May, 2010 - 3:42 PM