Australia should aim to keep the working-age population stable.
Most countries now have a declining working-age population. We don’t want Australia to end up being a retirement village with no staff.
Migration and housing
There are 11.2 million dwellings for 10.7 million households, but a third of households are renting. Half of all adults live in a house someone else owns.
A quarter of Australia’s property investments held by 1% of taxpayers.
Over the last ten years:
- Population growth was 16%
- The number of dwellings increased by 19%
- House prices rose 75%
So there are enough homes for everyone, the problem is distribution. That said, there is ample opportunity to create millions of new apartments on wasted land in our major cities. See our One Home Each page.
Migration and health
The healthcare and aged care systems is dependent on skilled migrant workers, and more are needed. Cutting back on migration of skilled medical workers would severely hamper provision of health services.
Migration and the economy
Migration boosts the GDP, but economic progress should be measured in terms of well being per person not Australia’s total GDP.
We should use measures such as a Genuine Progress Indicator to capture changes in quality of life rather than just the gross spending on things.
Encouraging emigration
People who are opposed to the Australian way of life (progressive, multi-cultural & scientific with a secular government) should be encouraged to emigrate with grants to offset their relocation costs.
Migration and population dashboard
See the Scanlon Institute for up-to-date migration and population data.