The Independent Australian

 There are two new opportunities for Australians to have a say on issues relating to our current high levels of net overseas immigration.

On my bookshelves sit a dozen or more books on population in Australia. And now comes Sustainable Futures: Linking Population, Resources and the Environment*, edited by Jenny Goldie and Katherine Betts, in which experts bring you up-to-date on every facet of  the pressures created by Australia’s population expansion.

Wayne Wildes writes on searching for Australian Made - the need for an Australin Made aisle

Each week I travel to my local supermarket to purchase my food and groceries. I search through the almost limitless aisles picking out each of my items as I go, attempting to find Australian owned / made products in preference to the imports. I pay a little extra for my shopping at the check out, but I prefer Australian made/owned wherever possible for several reasons.

 The Fraser article attracted a lot of comments, some pointing out connections which appear odd at first sight

The provocative and brutal columnist Paddy McGuinness (died 2008) summed up Fraser thus:

Lost respect in 1975 with the Dismissal

Lost his trousers and his dignity in 1986

Lost the family farm in 1997

Lost his mind.

The successful Sixth World Parks Congress demonstrated increasing interest in national parks.The Congress gave a record number of attendees the opportunity to exchange information on furthering national parks and wilderness protection. 

It’s a pity that Nigel Jackson (“Chaplaincy in Schools”, 13/01/2015) did not refer to the various attempts that have been made in the past to reform the teaching of religion in schools. In Mr Jackson’s native Victoria, two of these stand out: the Reed Report of 1968 and the Russell Report of 1974.

The ACF has not taken advantage of an offer of space in TIA to respond to the TIA article The Australian Conservation Foundation Council votes to implicitly support Big Australia’ , nor commented elsewhere. Professor Lowe responds to point out that the references to him may be misinterpreted. Habitat extends a welcome to members to make contributions, but will it get published? A look back at the attitude of the ACF to population issues twenty years ago. What has changed?

A standard pattern in Australian politics is where a free spending ALP government is eventually tossed out and replaced by the Coalition. The latter make some attempt to bring the deficit under control, are denounced as heartless and replaced by the ALP. Will this happen at the next Federal election?

The ACF is noted for challenging government policies, so by refusing to criticise the bipartisan Big Australia policy, the ACF implicitly supports it. The ACF thereby is comfortable with 200,000 net immigrants per annum pouring into Australia, putting pressure on the environment, causing cities to spread over farmland, crushing biodiversity, creating traffic congestion, depleting our water supplies.