Revealing analysis of migration policies contains a warning

The analysis of the differing migration policies of various political parties by the Parliamentary Budget Office is very revealing (“One Nation’s negative migration strategy would add $275 billion to debt”, October 18). The Coalition and One Nation policies will be economically disastrous, and the editorial (“Migration policy needs to weigh up dollars and sense”, October 18) highlights the risks of radical changes that do not consider the long-term economic effects. If ever Australians elect a Coalition-One Nation government that implements their respective migration policies, it will turn out to be our equivalent of Britain’s Brexit, in which xenophobia may have had a significant influence. Brexit is increasingly being judged as a disaster for the UK, and there are even moves to try to reverse it. Australian voters should learn from Britain’s experience. Rob Phillips, North Epping

It is good to see the dollars-and-cents projected effects of the proposed migration policies offered by the three political parties using Parliamentary Budget Office tools. These figures clearly lay out the effects and focus our attention because numbers are easy to grasp. However, they also need to reveal the human costs behind them. How many small-business owners will lose their businesses when they cannot find the right staff? How many farmers and their family members will be affected when there are no farm workers available? What will happen to hospital emergency department and elective surgery wait times? The human cost cannot be brushed aside by monetary figures alone. The Coalition talks about a focus on skilled migration. Skilled primary and secondary visas make up about 71.4 per cent of the annual permanent migration program. However, non-primary (secondary) applicants reduce the share of genuinely skilled primary applicants. Will One Nation stop accepting partners of skilled applicants? Would that produce socially adjusted migrants with no sense of belonging as they try to live here without their families? When we talk about migrant integration, how would this help? There are more human questions that need answering along with numbers. Manbir Singh Kohli, Pemulwuy

Thank you for facts and fresh insights into immigration in your exclusive report. It is sobering and welcome. There are many “please explain” demands for One Nation to answer. May your journalists nail down informed and considered explanations from all three political contestants for management of our unique society, built on immigration, so we, the people, can make an informed choice next year. Frederika Steen, Chapel Hill

Voters are responding

Parnell Palme McGuinness appears agitated that immigration policy has become controversial and there is a bidding war among several political parties regarding migration’s future (“Multiculturalism is like a marriage”, October 18). Surely, she does not mean to suggest that it’s undesirable for political parties to have medium-term plans and disclose those to voters. If Labor and the Coalition had bothered to engage with the public on migration policy every election, they might have avoided agitating your correspondent in 2026. In 2019, the Lowy Institute survey found that 71 per cent of Australians said Australia’s cities were already too crowded. Did the Coalition government of the time adapt its policy settings? No. Did the ALP scale back immigration when it was elected in 2022? No. Some people would say the major parties have acted with contempt for the overwhelming majority of Australians. Australia’s population in 2019 was 25.3 million. It is now 27.9 million. The majority of that growth is from migration; and the new residence of those migrants is predominantly in major cities. If there is electoral disquiet now, then that is democracy in action, in response to politicians who perhaps thought dialogue with voters was beneath them. Alun Breward, Malvern East (Vic)

Fees as final straw

I have operated a small business for more than 25 years. Using statistics quoted by Victoria Devine in her article (“Small business fury forces ATO U-turn”, October 18), it would seem the 140,000 small businesses using credit card payments each pay an average of $1429 in additional fees to the credit card companies. While cashflow is critical, these extra outgoings may partially explain why 25 per cent of businesses go under within the first 12 months. At least they get to keep their frequent flyer points. Peter Talbot, Naremburn

In whose lifetime?

It has been 24 years since Australia won the Bledisloe Cup (“Bledisloe Cup was once a great rivalry – but not after this series”, October 18). I turn 86 this week. Should I be getting anxious? Barry Wooldridge, Harden

More than entertaining

At a time when Australia’s immigration debate is too often framed in terms of “us and them”, Peter FitzSimons’ interview with original blue Wiggle Anthony Field (“How the blue Wiggle keeps on wiggling after 35 years”, October 18) offers a refreshing reminder of what immigration has contributed to our country. Field explains how The Wiggles deliberately sought to reflect their audience, bringing together Ethiopian-Australian, Italian-Australian, Greek-Australian and Filipino-Australian performers. And there they are, entertaining children in Australia and around the world, celebrated by families and embraced as part of our Australian identity. What a wonderful illustration of modern Australia. Different backgrounds, different cultures, but all Australian, contributing to the richness and character of our society. Perhaps those seeking to divide Australians according to where they or their parents were born could learn something from The Wiggles. They don’t see “us and them”. They simply see us. Rod Meynink, Tweed Heads

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