Demography

WHY vs WHY Big Australia

In WHY vs WHY™ Big Australia, we pit opposing writers against each other, Jessica Brown & Oliver Hartwich (YES) vs Mark O'Connor (NO). They go head-to-head, each side presenting 7 key reasons why you should say yes/no to Big Australia. After each side presents their arguments, the opponent then tries to tear each of them apart, both in the book & on this website (with further rebuttals). For readers, we aim to leave nothing unanswered. [...]

Fix the super roof while the sun is still shining

Far, far from the troubles at the home front, Prime Minister John Key was visibly enjoying the military honours and his joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel on his visit to Berlin last week. A better use of his time would have been studying the effects of delaying superannuation reforms. [...]

Time to drop the Dick

To the prospective new owners of DSE, drop ‘Dick Smith’ from the business name. Any association with him and his ranting is a liability. Maybe the chain would become profitable once more if customers were not greeted by his face at the stores. [...]

Five reasons Australia should be ‘big’

Economist Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich is an advocate of a 'big Australia'. Here are five reasons why he thinks the nation has nothing to fear from a growing population. [...]

Should Australia’s population be controlled

While population growth isn't something to strive for in and of itself, it is nothing to be feared either. Our challenge is not how to stop or slow population growth; our challenge is to embrace it. That way, we can ensure that a growing Australia is a prosperous, interesting and liveable place for us all. [...]

A growing opportunity for Australia

When Kevin Rudd declared his support for the idea of a ‘Big Australia,’ it became one of the final nails in the coffin of his leadership. No wonder Julia Gillard’s first announcement as Prime Minister was to distance herself from it in favour of a so-called ‘sustainable Australia,’ whatever that may be. [...]

A few home truths on people and houses

Stop population growth, and solve the housing crisis. That's the simple mantra of the ''small Australia'' brigade. But what at first sounds like a straightforward proposition turns out to be based on bogus logic. Population size certainly plays a role in determining our housing needs. But it is by no means the only factor - let alone the decisive one. [...]

Why a Growing Australia is Nothing to Fear

A growing population presents us with challenges and opportunities. Population growth, and the skilled migration that fuels it, helps our economy grow - giving us the resources to support our ageing population, build better infrastructure, and protect our environment. A growing, pluralistic society makes us socially richer too. [...]

Dollars must flow if numbers to grow

Debate about Australia's population is framed with national aggregates and ignores how local governments deal with increased population. Part of the reason Australians are averse to more people is because local councils are ill equipped to absorb them and many are forcing residents to pay for them. [...]

Europe’s Painful Farewell: An Essay on the Decline of the Old World

Europe is a continent in crisis. The financial problems of many European economies became visible to the rest of world when Greece only narrowly escaped bankruptcy in May 2010. Ever since, more unpleasant data about the state of public finances in Europe have emerged, putting pressure on Europe’s common currency, the euro. With the focus on finances, it is easy to overlook that many of Europe’s current problems are not purely economic. They are the result of some basic construction errors of the European project. [...]