Australian Democrat

Policy Objective: a) To ensure our continent’s long-term sustainability, we aim to first stabilise then reduce Australia’s population to an ecologically sustainable level... Inside read the Democrats' new population policy for Australia and a comment from the Senior Deputy National President, Darren Churchill.

In response to my article, "Growth lobby finally devours Australian Democrats?" here: Darren Churchill, Senior Deputy National President, Australian Democrats, wrote: "Your article asks, "Whatever happened to the Democrats' Population Policy?" Well, after some years without a proper population policy (although population was still referred to in our Immigration and Environment Policies and our party objectives) the Australian Democrats balloted a new Population Policy in May this year. it has been hailed by many as our "best Population Policy ever!" See it here: http://www.democrats.org.au/policies/pdf/Population.pdf."

I'll allow your readers to make their own assessment of the connection of our strongly balloted policy and the stories of the last couple of days."

Here it is below, to save readers looking up the pdf:

Australian Democrats Population Policy

THE ISSUE

1. As a consequence of human impacts, Australia faces serious environmental degradation and resource constraints which continue to be exacerbated by a growing population, increased per capita consumption and inefficiencies.
2. Population growth reduces our ability to preserve our unique biodiversity and places strains on our economy, infrastructure and housing supply.
3. A growing population puts more pressure on us to find new ways of ‘keeping up’ with material demands that are one of the highest per capita in the world.
4. Population growth does not necessarily create wealth, despite the claims of the development lobby, and it certainly does not improve national well-being.

POLICY OBJECTIVES

a) To ensure our continent’s long-term sustainability, we aim to first stabilise then reduce Australia’s population to an ecologically sustainable level.
b) To restrain population growth in a way that is equitable to all, is in keeping with the environment’s capacity to sustain human numbers and that acknowledges Australia’s international human rights obligations.
c) To support families in making decisions about family size so that additional stresses are not placed on our unique environment, long-term agricultural productivity or infrastructure.
POLICY ELEMENTS

The Australian Democrats will work towards:

i. Creating a formalised system whereby immigration intakes are determined as a result of trends in key indicators of sustainability.
ii. Decoupling the business visa class immigration programme from market demand, and instead introducing an annual quota system congruent with key indicators of sustainability (when considered with Policy Element iii).
iii. Doubling the numbers in our humanitarian visa class.
iv. Expanding programmes promoting gender equality, empowerment and opportunities for women, and welfare services so that the aged are less reliant on their dependents to financially support them, both at home and in our international development programmes.
v. Expanding programmes that make all family planning options cheaper and more accessible to anyone who may choose them.
vi. Expanding programmes that provide retraining and support the 1.5 million long-term underemployed, unemployed and disadvantaged back into the workforce.
vii. Limiting baby bonus/family leave provisions and diverting the resources to education, family planning and foreign aid.

Official Australian Democrats Policy – as balloted 25 May 2012
Humanity ? Sustainability ? Prosperity ? Democracy Page 1 of 1
Authorised by: Darren Churchill, 29 Brunswick Circuit, Kaleen, ACT, 2617