MEDIA RELEASE
Jeanie Walker
Lead Senate candidate – SA
13th August, 2010
Julia Gillard offers the deckchairs-on-the-Titanic solution to population problems
With the PM having rejected the targetting of immigration and declining to interfere with the baby bonus, the Australian Democrats are calling on her to reveal just how she will follow through on her vague statements about not favouring a big Australia.
Lead Senate candidate for the Democrats in SA, Jeanie Walker, says the apparent solution Ms Gillard offering is the deckchairs-on-the-Titanic shuffle.
“This involves moving people around the countryside without any real attempt to solve the problems of increasing population.
“It disregards the fact that every new person who is born or moves here will demand the same amount of water, the same level of health services and the same amount of food per head as current Australians.
“Continuing to encourage population growth but locating it in regional areas might put the problem out of sight and out of mind, but it is not a solution.
“In fact, as we see in places like Gawler, the Barossa Valley and Mt Barker, it adds to the problem, particularly when the best of our remaining agricultural land is used to grow houses and not food.
“Businessman Dick Smith is offering a million dollars for someone to come up with the best plan to bring our population growth under control.
“I don’t think I’m going to win his prize but it is blindingly obvious that we need to be reducing our immigration intake and cutting out the baby bonus.
“Population increase combined with the impacts of climate change and peak oil will in the long term be a recipe for disaster for Australia.
“Government must stop dancing to the tune of the development lobby and listen instead to the scientists about the continent’s capacity to sustain any more people,” said Ms Walker.
Further comment: Jeanie Walker – ph 0427 076336 from 7 a.m.
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