Watch promo here: Big Australia: Are We Ready?
Could the ABC be changing? Supporters of Dick Smith Fair Go will know the book ‘Overloading Australia’ by environmental experts, William J. Lines and Dr Mark O’Connor, which mentions how the ABC, over many years, has been quite biased on the population growth issue. The Dick Smith Fair Go Group even ran an advertisement in relation to this (see below).
However, things could be changing for the better. I have been interviewed for the programme by Ben Knight and I’m hoping some of the Dick Smith Fair Go Group’s ideas will be communicated fairly.
That is, that every Aussie family has a population plan, but our politicians don’t. I was asked a question about the ageing population and explained that you certainly can’t solve that in the long term by bringing in more immigrants because of course, they get older and the problem becomes worse – it’s a classic Ponzi Scheme.
Please watch both programmes and most importantly, post your comments and questions to the Q&A website here or Tweet during the programme using #QandA. If you’d like to join the discussion and can attend the Sydney, ABC Ultimo Studios at 8.30pm on Monday night, you can register to be in the audience here.
This is a vital opportunity to support the cause with some pointed questions to Q&A, particularly, if some of the Pro-Development Lobby make any outrageous statements, hinting that you can have perpetual growth in a finite world – Tweet the truth!
It’ll be fascinating to see how the ABC treats this important issue and whether they reflect what 8/10 Australians want – which is a population plan.
Saw the 4 corners show on this, most in favor of more and more growth are big businesses, all about the money, nothing about quality of life for future generations. Dick talking about young families forced to live in super high rises told ” That’s their choice” you moron it is NOT by choice, it is because there will be NO OPTION! The issue here is not how to manage future infrastructure to cope with exploding population it is that we must STOP this rise in numbers as soon as possible. Those for more growth have no concern for the future of humanity, happy children, balance of life, all they see are dollar signs. So stupid and short sighted, absolute fools!
I can’t imagine living in Australia … within a concrete Townhouse in … Kellyville…. Horrendous. !… The Australian Dream ?……….. Feck Off !
Very interesting … seems the ‘Left’ continue to defend a Vote catcher (for both parties) … at any cost !… Lets see what happens to the new generation left who can’t afford flirt their trendy arrogant stuff in New Town !
After watching both Four Corners and Q and A on Monday night it’s obvious that those most able to make a difference, our media, just don’t get it. Both shows displayed the same arrogant and naive approach to the issue of overpopulation as we’ve become to expect from those who advocate growth, waste, pollution and misery. The message they attempted to push was, mass immigration is here so what must we do better to further its unimpeded advance.
As for the Q&A program, the presenters and hand picked pro status quo panelists displayed a typical bias that the ABC has become famous for on many important issues over recent years, and it was easy to see any notion of maybe reducing immigration was not on the agenda, with the only voices of reason being Carr and Flannery.
And what a disgrace it was that Dick Smith was not on the panel.
Four Corners report was better than Q&A panel after it. But at least high population growth got attention on the ABC, hopefully more to come of it on the ABC. Let’s keep up the scrutiny on our ABC, it appears to be working!
What a shame. This is the biggest philosophical, cultural, social and environmentally important issue that Australia has ever faced. Instead the ABC trotted out the usual suspects – industry lobby group talking heads, demographers with a highly equivocal relationship to the same industry – and re-ran tired economic arguments that have been discredited in other forums a long time back. When are truly independent academics and scientists going to get their turn?
It should not escape anyone’s attention that the call for public debate has come at a time when the consequences of mass immigration has started to bite – yonks back. The Four Corner’s proclamation that a conversation should begin is an opening shot from a starter when the race began a decade back. One of the first questions I’d like to discuss is why has it taken the public broadcaster this long to find out that over 70% of Australians have wanted this conversation for a very long time?
If the ABC likes political conversations, why not chat to Kevin (Big Australia) Rudd some time soon? Right afterwards I’d be talking one Bill Shorten about public policies that are found to be too controversial to be given the ALPs blessing, that are effected by the back door without informing the public. Because if we have a future PM who wants to continue the Rudd government’s Big Australia policy I think we all need to know.
Watched q&a they basically missed the whole point..Bob Carr excepted…continued growth is a fait de complet..no one seemed to get it…that we need to stop breeding or we’re stuffed. Unfortunately we are too stupid to survive.
I agree that population growth is not sustainable and we need a new approach to economics NOT based on continuous growth. Some of us have been advocating zero population growth since the seventies. I remember environmentalist David Bellamy being shouted down when he suggested Australia was already overpopulated back then. I’m not sure on the immigration issue but it should be kept separate from the refugee issue which should be much more welcoming.
Immigration has been regulated in the past why not now its not racist to want an orderley incoming population figure it must be discussed and slowed down or all is lost