Australia has a low birthrate of 1.7. Without immigration we would have a falling and aging population . That means less taxpayers, supporting more pensioners. Increasing indian and chinese immigration reduces our sovereignty. What is going to be done to increase our birthrate?

Hmmmm this one is a bit concerning. How do you expect to "stabilize" an entire population? I assume you mean, limiting births and banning immigration, to balance out with deaths..? How? And in context of this question, define "sustainable level". What number is that level? todays? tomorrows? or worse, yesterday? It sounds like you imagine the world is ending....

Australians have had less than replacement levels of fertility since the 1970s. Immigration is causing us to have a population growth, and it is set to continue to rise. With zero net immigration, our population would rise for a short while, and then gently descent. We are in a post-growth era of the planet's life cycle, and with an immigration of 70,000 per year, and a limit to the baby bonus, we could stabilize our numbers to 26 million by 2050 instead of "big Australia".

Mary Ginseng · 10 months ago

The world's population is growing by 73million a year (net). That's almost the size of a country like Turkey dropped on the earth each year. Family planning is cheaper than a carbon tax.

Australia has opted for a skilled based migration process. The system is imperfect and was made a farce by education driven incentives that led to residency, thus pastry chefs and hairdressers topped the list for many years. Australia has just adopted the NZ system and now visas will be linked to actual job offers. All countries are competing for talent. Population growth that is bringing in the talent educated elsewhere is surely a good thing.

This doesn't make sense when our educated talent is disappearing overseas in search of some respect. We should take more responsibility for our own training and perhaps the deveopment of a share program to promote regional understanding

Christopher Monie · 10 months ago

If our universities weren't starved of funds and heavily reliant on foreign students, then our so-called skills shortages could be addressed back here in home without poaching the skilled from mostly developing countries. Job vacancies should be for Australian citizens, and each job has hundreds of applicants. Globalizing job offers is the way to unfairly discriminate against job-seeking Australians. The skills shortage myth is being used to support increased immigration, mainly for the housing industry and a bigger GDP - and contrary to our interests.

Matilda Bandic · 10 months ago

Growth economy is the lazy approach to so-called economic growth. Whenever I hear Swan say he's got the policy setting about right, I know he's talking about exactly the same tools as failed to predict the GFC. Until we get rid of donations to political parties and paid lobbyists, the power of greed will dominate our political landscape. Population policy, sustainable economic policy and decreasing the power of big business all go together.

sorry the last word of the first sentence should have been "health"

Christopher Monie · 10 months ago

Both the major parties refuse to discuss their population policies. Minister Tony Burke remains silent, and our cities and hip pockets are under constant pressure from population growth. A "big Australia" won't have the benefits that past generations have had, and the "lucky Country is being eroded by greed. When is our immigration going to be a public debatable issue?

We should limit our population growth and stop making excuses for unsustainable growth. I think Australia is already overpopulated. Why can't we balance immigration with emigration?

It is about time that Australia had a population summit to debate and discuss this very important topic. It is this mania for growth at all costs and regardless of consequences that sees Australia at a crucial crossroads in its history.

It is about time that Australia had a population summit to debate and discuss this very important topic. It is this mania for growth at all costs and regardless of consequences that sees Australia at a crucial crossroads in its history.

I am an every day Australian , one of many who are concerned the way our great country is headed.We do not need or want a BIG AUSTRALIA ,its an absolute furphy to say we need immigration to grow our economy , and i will support any political party that slows, or temporarily ceases all immigration until it can be established how far we are behind with our infastructure and public services.