Australia’s economic growth figures have been released today and they paint a sobering picture.
Yes, our economy has continued its unprecedented 27th year of expansion but Australians are actually feeling worse rather than better off. Despite all the convoluted economic spin and political sophistry the dichotomy can be explained in a single word. Immigration.
Governments love immigration because it brings more people into the country and these people all have to consume goods and services. This consumption is reflected in the headline economic growth figure known as Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
However, while this plays well for the political narrative, the flood of people puts increasing pressure on government expenditure, infrastructure demands, our health and welfare system whilst also putting downward pressure on wages.
As our State and Federal governments fail to keep up with the demands of the growing populace, our roads become more congested, health queues get longer, our welfare bill explodes and the cost of living rises without an accompanying increase in wages. In short, while politicians will insist you’ve never had it so good, many people know, things are getting worse.
Big immigration doesn’t just impact your personal finances. It is having a commensurate effect on your quality of life and our community. Some of these impacts are undoubtedly positive but there are also many negatives that the political class would prefer you to ignore.
The government announced additional funding for domestic violence this week with the PM claiming that there isn’t any area of society unaffected by it. Whilst patently wrong in that claim, he failed to point out the disproportionate rates of DV in some migrant communities – not to mention many indigenous communities. Similarly, he failed to point out that the Islamic holy book, the Koran, actually endorses domestic violence as part of a man’s ‘ownership’ of his wife.
Ethnic gang crime is on the up and it seems our media, politicians and police forces all have an interest in pretending it has nothing to do with the number and composition of our immigrant population.
For too long, we have been fed a steady diet of, ‘Australia is an immigrant nation and we must remain so in order to prosper’. Sure, that statement is accurate, to a point. But first, we have to determine what is meant by the term ‘prosperity’? If measured through GDP it is entirely accurate but if prosperity is taken to consider our economic, social and cultural wealth, many would argue that we are actually going backwards.
Put simply, our current rate of immigration is far too high and the mix of migrants coming here is not working for us. Our visa system, at home and abroad, is being gamed. Certain high-risk countries have been identified as corruptly issuing visas. International students are coming here simply as a means to work and as a shortcut to permanent residency before bringing their extended family over to join them.
Our refugee policy is effectively determined by the United Nations, thanks to an antiquated treaty, rather than our ability to integrate and assimilate those seeking refuge here. The corresponding cost of endemic welfare dependency in some communities is slowly sending us broke.
That is the reality of what our political class is doing to our country. Of course, we aren’t alone. The weakness of the West and their lack of enthusiasm for protecting their people and way of life has seen them fall prey to opportunistic demands.
From Australia’s perspective, making the changes that are necessary would lift the veil that hides the reality of our “miracle economy”. Unquestionably, it would have a detrimental impact on those headline economic figures our politicians love to talk about but it might leave the rest of us feeling better off.
Given the choice between making the pollies feel good or looking after the long-term interests of the Australian people, are you really surprised the immigration Ponzi scheme continues unchallenged?
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
