Michael Pascoe finally admits immigration lowers wages

For years, Michael Pascoe attacked those calling for lower, more sustainable levels of immigration, while vigorously defending the ‘Big Australia’ policy on spurious economic grounds:

 Our migration program is being blamed for everything from housing prices in Sydney and Melbourne to low wages growth to traffic congestion. It’s a measure of how myopic Sydney and Melbourne commentary has become that it would have the nation’s economic parameters set to suit those two cities’ public transport shortcomings…

Who benefits from a bigger population? Over my lifetime, we all have… We have more choices, more vibrancy and, per capita both on average and individually, more wealth. Yes, we have a couple of cities that are feeling growth pains at present, but neither is gargantuan and, time and again, it’s the vibrancy of big cities that provides productivity and creativity growth.