And the new message from the growth lobby is ..... "Yes, we hear your pain and we understand absolutely. No we don't intend to take any notice of your protests." Analysis of ex-ANZ bank economist, Saul Eslake's article, "Populate and Stagnate." in the Fairfax Press (The Age)

The Australian has run yet another beat-up by KPMG corporate partner, Bernard Salt, trying desperately to justify continued high immigration. Mark O'Connor, author of Overloading Australia comments.

Film[Click on picture]: Writer and environmentalist, Mark O'Connor says that this is the first time since the mid 1990s that the ABC has interviewed someone from Sustainable Population Australia for the environmental view on population problems in Australia. I can't wait for them to interview someone from Candobetter.org. In the mean time: See also poll in The Age: "Suburban sprawl: Is a pause in extending Melbourne's boundary a good thing?" (Obviously the answer is "Yes"). See also "Madden Backflip on outer urban expansion" link inside.

Those continuing to impose record high immigration on Australia insist that it is in our own best economic self-interest. At the same time, they attempt to depict opposition to high immigration as selfish. In a paper written in 1996, Mark O'Connor dissects such self-contradictions in their political philosphy and offers an explanation for its origins.

Originally published as "Where Does the PC Line on Immigration Come From?" as a pdf document (33K) 1997-98 issue of The Social Contract journal.
See also: Forum discussion on Andrew Bartlett's blog in response to this article commencing 5 Nov 09, "Population is destiny" editorial in the Australian of 19 Sep 09, Population boom 'a recipe for tragedy' in News Ltd Online of 18 Sep 09, "35 million Australians? Start preparing now" editorial in the SMH of 18 Sep 09.

"A nice example of the Replacement Rate Fallacy," writes Mark O'Connor, of Barry Maley's demographic dogma in "Birth Rate Bubble". (ABC Radio's Unleashed)Maley claims that, "Any nation needs to have a birth rate of not less than 2.1 children per woman to maintain its population." "Humans are not fruitflies where the generation of parents dies as their offspring are born," laughs O'Connor. "For instance, if India achieved so-called “replacement fertility” now, with all its couples in future averaging just 2.05 children, its population would ... double, adding an extra 1 billion people!"

"To keep stable and just replace itself, a relatively young population like Australia’s would currently need something even lower than Western Europe’s rate of around 1.3 children per completed family. More like 0.93. And that’s without immigration!"

Australian poet and writer Mark O’Connor reveals astounding similarities between the dire ecological problems faced by both Canada and Australia.