The biggest profiteers from this system are our tertiary institutions. Universities in Australia have largely become visa mills, charging the highest visa fees in the world, representing a $40bn industry. Australia’s university administrators take home seven-figure salaries. The average vice-chancellor of one of our visa mills gets paid almost double what the Prime Minister takes home – while more and more working Australians sleep in their cars.

Big business relentlessly lobbies for higher migration as well, citing perpetual “skills shortages” as justification. The evidence regarding an apparent skills shortage tells a different story. Research from economic think tank e61 has shown that Australia’s migration program actually harms productivity, contrary to what corporate interests claim. Their analysis found “migrant workers are more likely to work in lower productivity industries, and within industries they are more likely to work at lower productivity firms” – a trend that “appears to have worsened over the decade to 2020”. What this means is that migrants with engineering degrees are not necessarily working in start-ups creating innovative new products but are more likely to be driving Ubers and doing other low-skilled jobs that ordinary Australians could do. This is why Australia’s productivity remains stagnant despite our record-breaking immigration.

While the Coalition is seeking a cap on foreign students – pegged at 30 or 35 per cent of the total student population – government intervention needs to go further.

In the short term, migration needs to be capped at levels that match housing availability. And voters must demand that our governments prioritise the housing security of Australian citizens over university profits and corporate interests.

Australia’s democracy depends on restoring the social contract that rewards work with basic dignity. Either we control our borders to match our infrastructure capacity or we continue the slide towards becoming a country where full-time work is no guarantee against homelessness.

The choice should be obvious, but our leaders seem determined to make the wrong one.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/labor-migration-failures-create-an-und...

The 'skill shortage as reason for large scale immigration '  wheeze is largely a lie, like most other spineless other lies about it:

Research from economic think tank e61 has shown that Australia’s migration program actually harms productivity, contrary to what corporate interests claim. Their analysis found “migrant workers are more likely to work in lower productivity industries, and within industries they are more likely to work at lower productivity firms” – a trend that “appears to have worsened over the decade to 2020”. What this means is that migrants with engineering degrees are not necessarily working in start-ups creating innovative new products but are more likely to be driving Ubers and doing other low-skilled jobs that ordinary Australians could do.

Oh, dearie, dearie, me, poor, poor, Soren.  You claim to have a PhD but display no ability to analyse why someone reacts the way they do to what your spouting.  What a WOFTAM you are, you have no ability except to engage in a Tourettes Syndrome of invective and ad huminem insults to any one who holds a contrary opinion to what you are claiming.  You invariably spout Racist, Xenophobic bullshit from overseas rather than engage in real debate about Australia and it's society. You don't belong here, you belong in Denmark. Tsk, tsk, tsk... 

Don't hold back so much, boys - just say it like you feel it....

Hmm - might be a chance to cop a retired Abrams tank - just the thing for the elephant's graveyard car parks around here!!

As for immigration - clearly the way ahead is to cut way back on mass importation, and instead take in Guest Workers on visas, while reviewing the entire set of issues surrounding ethnicity, religion, and other issues that affect assimilation, and to start getting rid of all the dead wood and troublemakers, either by deportation or exile.

Pity it's against international law to exile people unless they have a state to go to... citizenship.. buggar.  Dual citizens are fair game, though....

Brian Ross wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2025 at 6:42pm:


I don't remember anyone saying it was. Your point?

Carl D wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2025 at 7:08pm:


And the inane Bwyawn memes in response. Sounds like a night to remember. I wouldn't encourage either.

Brian Ross wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2025 at 7:37pm:


Sure I do, I just don't see him claiming to be funny or witty. You obviously do though.