Gillard rejects Rudd's 'big Australia'

27 Jun 2010, 5:21 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she does not support a big Australian population, a further step back from predecessor Kevin Rudd's views.

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In another attempt to distance herself from predecessor Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has rejected his stance on population growth.

Mr Rudd last year said he believed in a "big Australia" but his former deputy does not agree.

Ms Gillard said sustainable growth should be the policy priority, as opposed to just letting the country "hurtle" towards a population of 36 million or 40 million.

"I don't believe in a big Australia," she told the Nine Network on Sunday.

"Kevin Rudd indicated that he had a view about a big Australia. I'm indicating a different approach.

"I think we want an Australia that is sustainable."

Ms Gillard said the people of burgeoning western Sydney, western Melbourne and the Gold Coast would agree.

However, she conceded there were also parts of Australia desperate for more people to fill skills shortages.

"We've got to get the balance right," Ms Gillard said.

"We'll still have an approach about getting the migration settings right, about meeting our needs for skilled labour."

To reflect her take on the issue, Population Minister Tony Burke will now be the minister for sustainable population.

The move was not enough for opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison, who said Ms Gillard's comments did not signal a clear change in policy.

"What we've seen today from the Prime Minister Julia Gillard is another example of all talk and no change," he said.

Mr Morrison encouraged Labor to adopt coalition proposals such as setting up a commission to monitor growth and limiting two-thirds of the annual migration program to skilled-based migration.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott accused the new prime minister of a policy backflip.

"When the coalition said a few months ago that the population had to be sustainable we were pilloried uphill and down dale by Julia Gillard," he told ABC television.

Population position broadly welcomed

However, Ms Gillard's position has been broadly welcomed.

Entrepreneur Dick Smith said she had taken a commonsense approach to the difficult issue.

"The world has too many people," he told AAP.

"I think (her position) is in the right direction, but it will be very difficult to have sustainable population - that is going to be a challenge."

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) said the government now had to turn its commitment to sustainability into a practical national population strategy.

"A sensible population policy would set clear targets and plans for dramatically reducing greenhouse pollution, improving water and energy efficiency, stabilising the population in the long term and protecting key ecological assets," ACF spokesman Chuck Berger said.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she wanted to see population growth more evenly spread across the country.

"So I was pretty encouraged today to see the new prime minister talking about sustainable populations," she said.

Former NSW premier Bob Carr said 80 per cent of Australians would agree that Australia needed "breathing space".

"Immigration has been run at levels that are simply too ambitious," he told AAP.

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said skilled migration levels had to be re-evaluated in favour of training locals, while meeting the nation's obligations to protect refugees.

Families Minister Jenny Macklin said the government would be focused on training young people, particularly in areas of high unemployment.

Not all agree

One group that did not agree with Ms Gillard's sustainable population slant was the Urban Taskforce, which represents property developers.

Taskforce chief executive Aaron Gadiel said if Labor limited Australia's population to fewer than 30 million by 2050, the average annual growth rate would be half its historical level.

"It would mean the economy would be 15 per cent smaller than it would otherwise have been," he said in a statement.

"Any reduction to our nation's rate of population growth puts at risk the very things that have made Australia what it is today."

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Your Comments

Love thy foreigner

JJSTEALL - from Adelaide, 2 years ago

Lies, lies, and more lies! Gillard the puppet and her cronies have no intention to halt immigrations, its all rhetoric! Firstly, the demographics say otherwise. Secondly, Birthrate growth alone is not sufficient to sustain our economy, Thirdly, the economies financial system in place at present is reliant on one basic fact, Immigration growth. An influx is definitely required. Without it, the economy it will stall. HELL!!! But what do I know? Let it be written let it be said.

Loyal Citizen

Prav - from Sydney, 2 years ago

Ethnic groups who have caused here problems in the past and those that have trouble accepting the Australian way of life should be disallowed from entering Australia.

Arrogant Immigrant

Bill Banter - from Brisbane, 2 years ago

As an Australian native born taxpayer, who was working and paying tax when Gillard received a "ten pound pom" passage here, and whose tax subsidised Julia Gillard's family to come to Australia, I regard her as a "guest Aussie", who has become a Citizen. How arrogant is it then for her to say she will cut further migration to Australia. I am utterly disgusted. This can only mean Gillard will cut Asian migration. Is Gillard racist? Or is this only arrogance from a relatively recent immigrant?

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