Gillard on population: an outbreak of commonsense?

Sustainable Population Australia, the nation’s only environment group campaigning on reducing human population, is greatly encouraged by the comments of incoming Prime Minister Gillard about reducing immigration.

National President of SPA, Sandra Kanck, says that after more than two decades of hammering away at this issue and the spectacular population growth, which took place under the auspices of former PM Rudd, it appears Australia now might be on the brink of an outbreak of commonsense.

“The reduction in support for former PM Rudd was based at least in part on the reactions of Australians against his views on increasing our population.

“But Ms Gillard must ensure she does not become trapped in a ‘deckchairs on the Titanic’ argument which Minister Burke has previously advanced in suggesting we simply need to relocate people to different parts of the country.

“While it is still early days, our advice to Ms Gillard is that the policy being developed by the re-named Minister for Sustainable Population must not cater to the racists, but must indeed, as she suggests, be based on the capacity of our environment, water and soil to be able to sustain our population.

“This should include a re-evaluation of the need for the baby bonus.

“SPA will be writing to the new Prime Minister to seek a meeting with her to discuss the issue, something which was denied to us by former PM Rudd.

“We congratulate her on these first statements, and we look forward to working with her on this most crucial of issues,” said Ms Kanck

Further comment: Sandra Kanck 08 8336 4114 (0417882143 between 9.30 a.m. and 1.00 p.m.)