The ABC's pro-immigration bias on full display once again

In a report about the Rudd Government's recent announcement that it was making some modest cuts to Australia's skilled immigration intake, the ABC's Richard Lindell states:

"Skilled migrants have been one of the key drivers of economic growth over the past decade.

In fact, an Access Economics report for the Government forecast that this year's intake will add more than $800 million to the economy."

Notice how Lindell makes the completely unsubstantiated claim that immigration has been one of the prime drivers of economic growth over the last decade, and then proceeds to cite an Access Economics report as evidence of the economic "benefits" of immigration. However, put in its proper perspective, we find that these "benefits" amount to a $800 million increase in gross domestic product in a $824.9 billion economy — an increase of 0.08 percent. That works out to be a whopping increase of about $36 for every person in Australia. And when balanced against some of the substantial costs of immigration, such as downward pressure on wages, higher housing costs, increased consumption of natural resources, a larger current account deficit, and increasing welfare and tax burdens on state and local governments, these "benefits" disappear.

Also note how Lindell quotes some economists, both of which are employed by firms which have a strong financial interest in ongoing immigration, who complain, among other things, that less immigration will ease pressure on housing, thus making it more, shock horror, affordable! We can't have that, now can we?

Given that our public broadcaster has allowed itself to become a mouthpiece for the growth lobby, it is no wonder that many Australians have been duped into putting up with ridiculously high immigration levels for so long.