A populist solution has been followed by both- Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister and Tony Abbott, the Leader of Opposition. This approach has been adopted in order to develop the infrastructure of the nation by cutting on the number of skilled migrants walking into Australia.

However, it seems as if some of the major factors have not been considered while planning. Contrary to the Rudd government which had plans for a “Big Australia” by 2050, the current government intends to cut down on immigration. As per Gillard and Abbott, it is important for the nation to be sustainable first so that it is able to accommodate the large numbers of immigrants walking into the nation each year.

At the same time, many critics have been arguing of this reason as being invalid. The main reason being that immigration has proved that there has been an expansion in the domestic economy of the nation. More so, the nation has had huge benefits when it came to regional communities. Also, not much has been done when it comes to the constant shortage of labor in the nation. This is only expected to increase in the coming decade as about 3.3 million baby boomers are walking towards retirement.

So, sustainability is not the main concern here as said by the leaders above. However, it does need more skilled migrants who can work, manage and establish urban planning in regional areas which need such development. Growth in population would lead the returning of raw commodity exports into the domestic economy which would be expanding. This would automatically create new jobs, thus hiking the economy further. This would strengthen the links at a global platform.

Above all, whatever happens, the nation would require more immigrants in the future to cater to its economy without which the economy would slowly crumble due to the lack of skilled workers.

It has been suggested by Tony Abbott, the Leader of Opposition that the new immigration policy as well as that on population would bring down the number of immigrants by almost ten thousand people. While campaigning along with Colin Barnett, the WA Premier and with Michael Keenan, the Justoms and Customs Spokesman for the Coalition, Mr. Abbott said that there is a lot that he would want to say on the issue of population and immigration.

At the same time, he did not give out any specific figure on the total migration from foreign countries. As per him, during the pinnacle of economic boom where in there has been the maximum demand for skilled labor, the total immigration rate was about twenty thousand people in Australia. Also, this rate increased to 300,000 during the economic downturn along with the downturn of the government. If this rate of 300,000 continues, the nation would have forty three million people by 2050.

The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is against Kevin Rudd’s dream of a big Australia, although she is continuing with Rudd’s big Australian Immigration program. Mr. Abbott was campaigning in Fremantle at the Labor Seat. Here, he made $93 million to promote the border security of the nation at the various ports.

Mr. Abbott has also said that they would be able to restore the $58.1 million which was cut out from funding by the Rudd-Gillard government. With this, another $35 million would be added for security screening. This makes it a total of $93.1 million which would enhance the border security of Australia.

After the nation’s Finance Minister, this time a demographer opposed the new Australian Prime Minister’s idea to limit the immigration level over the years to come. The Australian National University professor McDonald believes Australia should attract more skilled migrants in order to help its economy grow. According to him, immigration is one of the most important factors of labor market and it plays a vital role in the expansion of a nation’s economy.

The demographer expressed his views regarding the importance of immigration in Australian economy in a seminar hosted by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia earlier this week. The director of the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute at the Australian National University also pointed out that the growth of mining and other industries definitely implies that Australia requires skills in order to meet the labor shortages. He further cleared it that Australia cannot expand the economy without letting people from outside to enter the nation.

At the time when the new Australian PM Julia Gillard is talking about her disbelieve in ‘Big Australia’ policy, the demographic expert said that the nation’s intake of 44,000 permanent migrants in the 2008-2009 year was not sufficient to meet the labor requirements. Out of the total intake, Australia received only 30,000 new skilled workers, which did not satisfy the current labor demand. Because of this, many employers in Oz had to rely upon temporary workers to address the labor shortages.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been surrounded with criticism since the day she announced the inauguration of a regional asylum seeker centre.  She has been accused that she did not held consultations and talks with other important people before announcing the news.

According to Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, these criticisms are of no worth as Australia would go on and hold some talks with East Timor and Indonesia in the upcoming week. He said that no one is underestimating as to how stringent and tough this task is. And people who think that a decision like this should be made with loud noise, with bow-tie on top should realize that reality is entirely different from what they think. These people don’t acknowledge the seriousness and reality of this tough issue for all the nations linked with this issue.

He went on to say that he will discuss this matter with Indonesia, in addition to holding a detailed conversation with East Timor.

Australia’s first woman leader said that she is in conversations with East Timor on the subject of accommodating poor Asians who come in boats through “people-smuggling” groups. She went on to conform that this place is the only possibility for the centre. But critics are coming out with various questions on its locations and the further planning.

The lady also faced criticism for not discussing the issue with East Timor’s President Jose Ramos-Horta in place of discussing the same with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao who is at more powerful situation.

Julia Gillard, Australia’s new Prime Minister has vowed to remove the facet of “public-smuggling” by coming with an altogether new regional asylum processing centre, which would take care of such aspects.

The processing center would be based in East Timor. According to the Minister, the centre would cut down the percent of boat people, an issue which has served as a huge concern for the government of the country.

She said that the motto of coming out with this centre is to make sure that people-smugglers have no product to sell. The motto is to curb down the people-smuggling trade and the establishment of the asylum centre would be seen as a regional solution. She went on to say that the new centre would remove the false asylum claims.

After holding a meeting with the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, the later acquainted that boat people who are desperate to enter the country would be looking for New Zealand’s shored to gain entry. The stats say that this year, more than 70 boats, decked with asylum seekers from Afghan and Sri Lanka has entered the land of Kangaroos in an undocumented manner.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that both Australia as well as New Zealand are critical resettlement nations and are vital to this “facet.”

According to Tony Abbott, Australian Opposition Leader, boat people who demolish their identity proofs would be refused refugee status.

Many hundreds of supporters of a Muslim preacher in Australia came together and protested against the government’s decision to deport him to his native country, Iran. The supporters organized a rally in the national capital of Australia, Canberra. According to the Australian intelligence agencies, the alleged cleric, Sheik Mansour Laghaei can pose as a security threat to the country. But, his supporters have to say that he is a decent preacher.

The Australian government considers that the Iranian man is a security threat to the country and which is why it wants to send him back to Iran. Reportedly, the alleged entered Australia in the year 1994, on a temporary visa. The non-citizen in the country is touted to be a spy for Tehran. But, he has denied all the allegations at the first place. However, the Australia government has not revealed any of the allegations, as it is not allowed to disclose any specific details of the allegations.

Reportedly, the intelligence agents have found explosive material pertaining to Jihad that Sheik brought from Iran to Australia in the mid-1990s. However, the latter said that the agents have misinterpreted many of the material. Ever since the leakage of these reports, Sheik has been in a legal battle to stay in Australia. Over the time, he has got the sympathy and support of many religious groups in Australia, including Jews, Buddhists and Christians.

The recent rally is outcome of their support for Sheik. Over 900 hundred supporters united to urge the government not to send him back to Iran. Besides, they have also requested the Australian Prime Minister in written to look into the matter.

There have been protests against the recent approach that the Australians do not have positive views regarding immigration.

Adding to the above, various business communities have raised their opinion opposing the survey which states that almost two-thirds of the Australians were against the increase in their nation’s population. By 2050, the country’s population is expected to increase to thirty six million from the current twenty two million.

According to the chief of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peter Anderson, the survey should not be considered by the government as of now. Instead, their main agenda should be economic recovery. This group feels that if there is a cut on the number of work visas being granted, it might affect the current workforce and hence lead to shortage of skills. As the economy is coming out of recession, with recovery on the economic front for the 2010 -11, there would be an increased need for skilled migrants.

The current Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is being supported by these business groups who expect more skilled migrants in the near future. With this, Rudd has already stated his fondness for a Big Australia.

Additionally, it is being predicted that the population of the country is going to rise from the current twenty million to thirty six million by 2050. The population of the world is expected to increase by another thirty eight percent during this period. This means that the population would reach 9.4 billion from the current 6.8 billion. This implies that Australia would be the fastest growing industrialized nation in the world.

After two more Indians, aged 20 and 22, were attacked in Australia on 26th January, the Oz police arrested five people, hence proving their intentions to take quick actions against the culprits.

The Australia government has shown its concern for the recent spate of racial issues and has taken ample measures to stop them. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s nephew, Van Thanh Rudd, recently took part in a protest in opposition to all these incidents happening against the Indians.

Immigration minister Chris Evans condemned these attacks and said that a bunch of idiots are responsible for executing these attacks on Indians.

Despite all these incidents, statistics point out towards the direction that India is the third most represented country when it comes to people getting citizenship in Australia. Other two countries are Britain and China.

An Indian, Banaisha, who recently took an oath at a Citizenship ceremony in Australia, was found saying that neither she nor any of her relatives have experienced any racial attacks so far, reports by HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/world/Despite-assaults-Indians-queue-up-for-citizenship/Article1-502087.aspx) confirmed the statement.

In another story (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/newest-citizens-unfazed-by-racist-attacks/story-e6frg6nf-1225823755553), new Australian citizens Suresh and Jyoti, the couple who arrived in Australia five years ago, said that they never experienced any attacks of racial nature ever in the country. The couple, along with their daughters, came to take part in the citizenship ceremony and cleared that they never felt threatened in Australia.

Evans welcomed these new citizens and marked Australia Day in a grand style!

The much talked about debate about the republican Australia which was thought to be suppressed has come to the surface again. Pressure for another mandate to be held is on the rise.

The Australian Republican Movement (ARM) feels that a large part of the Australian population would be in favor of the mandate. However, the Australian Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition feel that this is not an apt time to discuss the issue. Here, it has to be remembered that both the leaders have republican views.

A similar mandate was held ten years back in 1999 when two thirds of the Australian citizens voted for the issue. Inspite of it, the motion was denied. According to ARM in a recent poll conducted showed 59% of the citizens preferring Australia to be a republic nation.

The Real Republic Organization head – David Muir feels that as a Republic nation, the country would have a separate identity and would be known as an individual nation. Otherwise, the Queen of the United Kingdom continues to be the head of the government. This way, the national identity is difficult to establish.

However, Mr. Rudd feels that this referendum is not the issue to be discussed with all hype surrounding on the country’s amended immigration policies. Other top officials also agree to it, some feeling that the time would be after the Queen’s reign is over.

Although the views differ for different diplomats, all that could be done is to wait and watch for what might happen next.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd expressed “sorry” in front of the whole nation. Almost 70 years back, up to 10,000 British children were shipped to Canada and Australia to enhance the “white stock” in Australia.

According to the British parliamentary report, the step was intended to “maintain the racial unity of the empire.” Some of them were taken from their premises without informing their parents and were promised a better future ahead.

The worst thing is that they were forced to work in some bad conditions after reaching their new home. Above all, some children were told that their parents are dead. The Child Migrant Programme was intended to offer a better future to disadvantaged children, but a majority of them were forced under labor.

Mr. Rudd apologized for this “ugly” deed by the country in the 1940s. He said that the country is extremely sorry for the emotional and physical sufferings that were embedded on those poor and innocent children that time. Tears came out flowing from his eyes, while he was uttering those words of apology.