United Nations climate policy has hijacked Australian population policy

At some titanic level of immigration, I used to imagine, movers and shakers might begin to have second thoughts on Big Australia. Anthony Albanese's "Huge Australia" proves me dead wrong.

In 2020-21 under COVID, Australia had negative 85,000 net migration. Lowest figure for a century. By 2021-22, the Morrison Government had already flipped that by a quarter-million, to plus 171,000.

We won't be reopening the floodgates on migration, Morrison blustered. As he reopened the floodgates on migration.

Albanese has taken the numbers (and lies) next level. Net migration for the year to March 2023 was 454,000.

Just to recap, 454,000 pulverises the extreme Kevin Rudd record of 316,000. It's twice the average of the Big Australia years 2007-2020. It's nearly six times the long-term average of about 80,000. It's eight or nine times our 20th century average.

The resultant 2.2% population growth is third-world regression, not first-world reform. Most wealthy nations practise low or negative population growth.

Albanese, Treasurer Chalmers, other senior Ministers, all sing from the same cheat sheet. It's "not a target", they're just "catching up" for COVID, with "lower" numbers than Morrison, leading to "smaller" population growth.

Most media have xeroxed these fables, for broad circulation. More inclined to scrutinise are News.Com (yep, evil Murdoch) and Daily Mail (yep, from UK).

ABC and Guardian are tenacious mass-migration mavens. Rubbing it in, with hypocritical handwringing stories of the homeless.

Costello Nine media has appeared to wobble. Recently, they rated "immigration a mixed blessing as housing shortfall looms" with the 454,000 "about to trigger a toxic debate".

Does this mean Baby Bonus Costello might heed angry voter comments in his own newspapers?

No, he'll still spin think-tank guff, that tighter graduate visas might "reduce population pressures". He'll keep insinuating the best Treasury/Guardian fib of all. That 235,000 (not 80,000) is the normal or long-term migration average.