Immigration

Before the pandemic, Australia had by far the highest concentration of international students in the world, dwarfing other Anglo nations: The explosion in student numbers followed the strategic review of the student visa program in 2011 (‘the Knight review’) by the Gillard Government, which greatly expanded work rights for graduate (485) visas in 2013.

Australia’s politicians, economists, the media, and think tanks continually claim that a lack of supply has driven the housing crisis.

The “Stats Guy” Simon Kuestenmacher is a renowned immigration lobbyist.

Alan Kohler has gone where few economists dare, acknowledging that international students are more likely to be an economic import for Australia than an export.

Alan Kohler published an article this week arguing that the massive rise in immigration-driven population growth over the past two decades has driven Australia’s housing crisis.

The benefits of the new international student caps are obvious: Almost 150 tertiary colleges have been shut down for failing to show proof they were offering any training to students, figures have revealed.

Peter Mares from Monash University has written an article in The Conversation on the blowout in elderly parents of migrants awaiting visas that would allow them to live permanently in Australia.

According to Statistics Canada, the country’s population increased by a record 1,273,000 people in the year ending March 2024, representing a growth rate of 3.2%.

Greens leader Andrew Bandt appeared on Sky News in June where a panellist asked: “Do you welcome the promised drop in migration?

The cowardly Albanese government has already walked back its plan to cap international student enrolments at a ridiculously high 40% of total enrolments: “That is not right.

In this weekend’s Treasury of Common Sense on Radio 2GB, I discussed the latest furore between RBA governor Michele Bullock and the federal government over inflation.

Master Builders Australia (MBA) claims that Australia’s immigration system is “severely broken” and needs to preference migrants in the construction trades if Australia is to meet its housing targets.

Sydney-based housing developer Mark Bainey of Capio Property Group summarised Australia’s farcical ‘skilled’ visa system as follows: “The key thing holding back construction at the moment is the supply of skilled labour”.

The higher education lobby has spat the dummy over the Albanese government’s modest proposed caps to international students, which would see student numbers limited to 40% of total enrolments.

According to leaked details obtained by The AFR, the Albanese government plans to limit universities to enrolling no more than 40% of international students.

Lobby group Universities Australia is at it again, spinning copious lies about the economic benefits of international students and the enormous costs of the Albanese government’s modest caps to enrolment numbers.

Earlier this year, The SMH published the following chart derived from Treasury data, illustrating the drivers behind the rise in income tax receipts in recent years: The purple bars above indicate that the “growth in the tax filer population” is a significant factor contributing to the increase in personal income taxes.

After pumping endless propaganda about fake international education exports, lobby group Universities Australia continues to desperately argue that the tidal wave of international students arriving in Australia is not negatively impacting Australian renters.

The 2023 Intergenerational Report (IGR) projects that Australia’s population will balloon by 13.5 million people over the next 39 years to 40.5 million: If this projection came to fruition, Australia would add the equivalent of another Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane worth of population in only 39 years.