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Tim Watts, Hugh Martin & Steve Vizard

"We Need a Population Plan, Mr Ruddock"

The Age

April 7, 2003

12 months ago we helped convene a Summit on population issues which attracted 500 delegates from across Australia including dozens of ideas leaders in science, business, the arts and politics. Acutely aware of how critical population questions will be in the nation’s future, delegates to the Summit developed a proposal for a major shift in the way we set policy on these issues – a National Population Council where representatives from the States would work in a deliberate & transparent way to make decisions on key population issues in partnership with the Federal Government.

Six State Premiers signed on to the proposal. The Minister for Immigration, Phillip Ruddock did not.

Developments since then suggest that the need for this high-level focus on population has only become more urgent.

In May, Treasurer Peter Costello released the Intergenerational Report with some alarming forecasts about the costs of our ageing population, but no coordinated response or long-term planning seemed to result. 

Over the past year, instability in the international environment has grown with the likely result being an increase in the number of people seeking asylum in Australia.

Figures released by the Department of Immigration showed net permanent migration to Australia in 2001-2002 was 40,659, the lowest annual number in a decade.  This appeared to be driven by an unusually high number of permanent residents departing to live overseas.

Paid maternity leave did finally made it to the top of the national agenda and the Prime Minister committed to seriously address the issue. 

More recently, the Federal Opposition took the unusual step of appointing Julia Gillard as Shadow Minister for Population when there is in fact no Minister for Population to shadow.

Alongside these developments, Minister Ruddock has held fast to his view that Australia doesn’t need a population policy and that because targets are impossible for policymakers to achieve in a practical sense they’re not worth setting.

Opponents of the Minister have claimed that by denying the need for a population policy and not agreeing to a formal Population Council, he has revealed that he is only interested in controlling the debate and actually prefers to single-handedly set population policy by stealth.

We don’t agree with this characterization of the Minister who has consulted widely and commissioned some important research on related issues. But we do believe he is mistaken in his dismissal of the need for a formal population policy.  We also believe that by not agreeing to establish a Population Council with formal policy making powers he is profoundly handicapping Australia’s long term prospects.

As our new book ‘Australia’s Population Challenge’ reveals, population policy is a deeply complex area.  From the sustainability of natural resources to fertility rates, from immigration levels to humanitarian obligations – the issues are interrelated and very difficult to resolve on a personal level, let alone at the national level.

It is also a very divisive area with genuine differences of opinion from experts, conflicting empirical evidence and clashes of cornerstone Australian values at stake. 

Finally it is an issue where different parts of Australia have different interests.  For example, Tasmania clearly needs more people.  Sydney residents in their densely populated streets have an entirely different perspective.

We believe that the Summit’s proposal for a Population Council would elevate these issues in government planning to the priority they demand and would ensure that decisions on these vital questions occur in a more transparent and accountable manner.  State governments have some creative ideas on these questions and deserve an opportunity to work with the Federal Government on them.

Phillip Ruddock describes himself as a moderate, consensus-driven leader.  Here is an opportunity to display these worthy qualities.

*‘Australia’s Population Challenge’ edited by Steve Vizard, Hugh Martin and Tim Watts is published by Penguin.  It will be launched by Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria on April 7.