Archive for the ‘Population’ Category

MEDIA RELEASE: 13th August, 2013: Democrats campaign slogan: Sustainable Prosperity

16/08/2013

Darren July 2010australian-democrats-logo-300

MEDIA RELEASE: 13th August, 2013:

Democrats campaign slogan: Sustainable Prosperity

The Australian Democrats have launched their campaign slogan for the September 7 federal election: Sustainable Prosperity.

Australian Democrats National President, Darren Churchill, says that Sustainable Prosperity must be the vision for Australia’s future.

“Some preach that economic growth is the holy grail, some small government and some environment over humanity. The Australian Democrats believe that Sustainable Prosperity encourages economic development, wealth creation, environment protection, humane justice and social advancement.

“With Australia’s economy linked to the world there are no simple solutions, and the challenge for government is in negotiating the Sustainable Prosperity path.

“Australia already welcomes investment in solar and wind power, but must more actively encourage it, and if this means coal-fired power stations will be little used or retired early, it will be a plus in dealing with climate change.

“Our manufacturing industries, tortured by the recent high dollar, can and must be revived to lead the world in innovation and excellence. We are also a trusted source of quality food exports.

“Prosperity will not however come as a result of increasing population. Every new person requires $200,000 worth of infrastructure and Infrastructure Australia estimates the nation already has an infrastructure backlog of up to $300 billion.

“Economic sustainability, properly managed and definitely shared to reduce the gap between rich and poor, promises to lift more people out of poverty – an objective we should all embrace.

“A vote for the Australian Democrats is a vote for Sustainable Prosperity for all Australians,” Mr Churchill said.

Media contact: Darren Churchill

National President

Australian Democrats

Phone 0412 196473

Posted in Australian Democrats, Environment, Federal Election 2013, Population, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Media Release: Sunday, 29th July, 2012: Australian Democrats challenge the big end of town with new population policy

29/07/2012

Media Release: Sunday, 29th July, 2012

Australian Democrats challenge the big end of town with new population policy

Australia faces serious environmental degradation as a consequence of increasing human population and urgent action must be taken to curb this, say the Australian Democrats.

Announcing a new population policy endorsed by a membership ballot held this month, National Campaign Director, Darren Churchill, says the party will closely examine the population policies of other parties in determining preference flows in next year’s Federal election.

“Despite developers arguing for population increase and benefitting their own hip pockets as a consequence, taxpayers bear the cost of destruction of our unique natural environment, reduced housing supply and shortages of infrastructure.

“Our new policy argues for an increase in the nation’s humanitarian intake balanced by a scaling back of the immigration intake to environmentally sustainable levels.

“The baby bonus and family leave provisions should be scaled back with savings reallocated to education and family planning.  Because the Australian Democrats believe strongly in our national obligations to the developing world, some of this money should also be diverted to further increases in our foreign aid budget particularly for family planning and contraception.

“And rather than bringing in more migrants for labour programs, we want to see an expansion of retraining programs: Australia’s 1.5 million unemployed and underemployed must be the beneficiaries of any mining boom.

“We know the big end of town won’t like this policy, but the challenge of population is simply too important to ignore,” concluded Mr Churchill.

DARREN CHURCHILL

National Campaign Director

darren.churchill@democrats.org.au

Tel: 0412 196 473

The complete policy can be found at http://www.democrats.org.au/policies/population-policy

Please see our campaign Towards a Sustainable Population

Posted in Environment, Immigration, Population | Leave a Comment »

Labor clueless, Libs plain mischievous, and Greens bleeding hearts on population and asylum seekers

01/08/2010

MEDIA RELEASE: Election 2010: Sunday, 1st August, 2010

Labor clueless, Libs plain mischievous, and Greens bleeding hearts on population and asylum seekers

The contenders for government and the contenders for balance of power in this election all fail on their policies relating to population and asylum seekers says the Australian Democrats’ lead Senate candidate in the ACT, Darren Churchill

“The ALP is playing games on the issue, giving the electorate the impression they understand their concerns but then refusing to address the issue of immigration numbers.

“The Liberals appear to have recognised public concerns in undertaking to reduce population, but are playing the race card by linking the very small numbers of so-called boat people to the reduction in immigration.

“And meanwhile the Greens seem to think that Australia can solve the world’s refugee problems with a welcome to anyone who wants to come, belieing any claim they might have to understanding environmental constraints.

“By contrast the Australian Democrats recognise that immigration substantially contributes to our population numbers and impacts on our environment.

“Last year’s 2.1% annual population growth rate was ahead even of countries like Indonesia, and two-thirds of that growth came from immigration.

“Australia must consider the environmental limits – low rainfall, increasing temperatures due to climate change, and infertile soils – when determining the right number of people this land can support.

“Unlike the Greens, we know that we cannot solve the world’s refugee problems, but by reducing overall immigration numbers we would be in a much better position to meet our humanitarian obligations for what is really a small number of asylum seekers.

“Julia Gillard does not want the baby bonus to be repealed or pared back, nor does she want immigration to be discussed, so she is not real in saying she does not want a big Australia.

“Australians really deserve better than what Labor, Liberal and the Greens have to offer,” said Mr Churchill

Further comment: Darren Churchill, Ph: 0412 196 473

Posted in Asylum Seekers, Immigration, Population, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »