AUSTRALIA’S Catholic Bishops are unhappy that both major political parties claim they will reduce immigration if elected to government on 21 August.
“Australia is a country which, compared to most nations that welcome migrants, is underpopulated with a standard of living which would remain sustainable despite higher levels of immigration,” says Bishop Joseph Grech, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) delegate for Migrants and Refugees.
Bishop Grech has expressed his distress about the Liberal Coalition vow to cut overseas migration from an annual intake of 300,000 to 170,000, and Labor’s announcement that the Government had already begun reducing migrants to Australia and is well on the way to arriving at an annual goal of 145,000 net migration.
The prelate believes both parties are ignoring the rich contributions made to Australian society with their respective policies and questions why both sides of politics are bowing to pressure from a minority of the public.
“Both parties are arguing that higher levels of migration will put strains on the country’s infrastructure.
“However, it is the job of the Government to look to sustainable infrastructure regardless of migration levels,” Maltese-born Bishop Grech said.
Pointing out that migration has helped offset the impact of Australia’s declining birth rate, Bishop Grech said that migrants have long contributed to the nation’s economic well-being, and added to our reputation as a unified nation of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.
He and the ACBC are convinced that by cutting our migration programme there will be no economic gain for Australia’s citizens while losing the valuable contributions that migration has always brought to this country. Bishop Grech and the ACBC also strongly question the current bipartisan policies on migration, claiming they have been made without “foresight or hindsight.”
Labor leader Julia Gillard began the debate shortly after the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was deposed, saying she did not believe in a “big Australia” or the goal of reaching a population of 36 million by 2050. Instead, the Acting PM said she wanted a “sustainable” Australia” although she has refused to put a number on this. Almost immediately, the Opposition announced a similar policy, backing away from a Big Australia despite business leaders expressing dismay, claiming not only would a cut in migration mean less skilled workers but warned another consequence would be higher taxes.
Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott has pledged to retain skilled migration numbers and said reductions would come from a focus on migrant family and student visa programmes.