Albanese Labor: reshaping the population to its own ends

Even in the 1980s-1990s, Australian voters were concerned immigration was too high.

Before COVID hit in 2020, repeated polls had citizen-voters wanting lower immigration. Now, you find polls like here and here with about two-thirds or more wanting an actual immigration pause, or much lower immigration levels.

How do the elite handle this? Easy - ignore voters. Or sledge them - anything but listen.

The elite have their 101 fibs for why mass migration is necessary and valuable. Their trump card being – voters are too racist.

Since 2019, Liberal then Labor governments have issued a dubious report for the Home Affairs "immigration and citizenship" program. The latest takes "migration nation" as non-negotiable - allegedly it boosts "productivity" and "skills". Shucks, government can't really control net migration, though there's "downward" pressure.

Nonsense. Canada and other nations can control net migration. We too could – we did before COVID. Home Affairs' false justifications would be thrashed by any half-decent performance audit.

Australian Population Research Institute (TAPRI) has researched this disjunct, between immigration attitudes of the governing classes and governed.

A 2023 TAPRI report found an educated minority (19% of voters sampled) fancied themselves as "guardians" against racism.

These tend to be morally concerned about climate change, and love mass migration, regarding those who disagree as racist. While a 33% share, who largely favoured lower or much lower immigration levels, felt "threatened" in discussing it.

Last November, TAPRI pointed out, the majority of voters oppose the "progressive" agenda of neoliberalism and its cultural template. This April, they reinforce this message.

Sixty percent of voters (sample of December 2024) are rated as "Australia First", with a strong sense of belonging. The rest are labelled "Open Australians" - cosmopolitan, supporting multiculturalism, high immigration, and "progressive" social values. These types concentrate among younger voters and recent migrants.

To my mind, a small governing or "stakeholder" class overrules the legitimate immigration concerns of ordinary voters, including the Australia-Firsts.