The Australian Industry Group (AIG) has once again called on the Federal Government to raise Australia’s skilled migration intake to cover so-called skilled labor shortages and to boost the economy. From The Courier Mail:
The Australian Industry Group says the migrant intake should climb more than 15 per cent — from 190,000 a year to 220,000.
In its submission to Canberra ahead of the Turnbull Government’s first Budget, due in May, the lobby group says a fall in the rate of migration is weighing on the economy.
Australia’s population is growing at 1.4 per cent a year — the slowest rate in a decade…
The lobby group says Australia particularly needs more skilled migrants, such as tradies and those with tertiary qualifications, to help in “smoothing the path to future growth across the economy”…
The short-termism on display across Australia never ceases to amaze. Immigration is already running well above the long-run average level (see next chart), and yet AIG wants more!
Never mind the fact that such immigration would worsen Australia’s already large infrastructure deficit and risks lowering living standards for the pre-existing population.
Never mind the fact that the recent falling migration rate is a key factor behind the improvement in Australia’s unemployment rate.
And never mind that skills shortages are already running near historical lows.
No, this is classic rent-seeking behaviour by the AIG aimed squarely at lowering labour costs and boosting the markets of its big business members, while the broader community foots the bill indirectly via increased congestion, higher housing/utilities costs, and overall worsening living conditions.
