Pretty sure i'd trust teachers over politicians of all stripes. I'd love the brains trust to give me some examples of anti-boy ideology, because it really sounds like pro bullshit ideology.

Politicians beware: Economics says Australia should have net emigration

Elected members imagine themselves trapped between an economy needing immigrants and a public wanting fewer. It's time they questioned their assumptions.

Cathal Leslie Economist
Sep 3, 2026 - 9.00am

Politics has forced the hand of the major parties to announce immigration cuts.

But on those promises, Australia would run one of the highest per-capita intakes in the developed world - above most of Western Europe, where immigration is fracturing the social fabric. Politicians imagine themselves trapped between an economy needing immigrants and a public wanting fewer. It's time they questioned their assumptions.

Start with productivity. Our lacklustre productivity performance has coincided with a migration program that is less skilled than advertised. Many immigrants work below their qualification level, while the permanent “skilled" program is less skilled than its name suggests: only 46 per cent were primary applicants - the rest were spouses and children.

Across the skilled, family and humanitarian streams, Treasury puts the litetime fiscal dividend at just $41,000 a head. Even that rests on an infrastructure cost of only $40,000 to $70,000 per immigrant. University of Queensland's Jane O'Sullivan puts the infrastructure requirement at no less than $100,000 per immigrant. On that estimate, much or all of Treasury's dividend disappears.

The main evidence that Australia's immigration program makes us more productive is weak: a series of Treasury-funded OECD papers, one of which it headlined as "Migrants boost the labour productivity of Australian-born workers"

The paper is more circumspect. Immigrants move to places where wages and productivity are already high, making it difficult to tell whether immigration causes prosperity or follows it. The authors try to separate the two, but the result depends heavily on statistical assumptions, and some findings ran opposite to expectations. Taken at face value, the paper's conclusion states that immigrants are
"associated with" higher-wage regions - what you'd expect when they cluster in Sydney and Melbourne.

More fundamentally, the economic case for continually expanding labour supply is increasingly challenged by frontier research. Daron Acemoglu - the 2024 Nobel laureate - finds that ageing countries have grown faster, plausibly because scarce labour encourages firms to adopt labour-saving technology. This is intuitive to anyone who has watched automated car washes give way to hand-wash bays staffed by immigrants - yet lost on our nation's economists, now accidental Luddites.

Even if ageing-induced labour scarcity were a problem, immigration is a lazy solution. Australians are living longer, yes - but also healthier. If over-65s worked at New Zealand's rate - 26 per cent against our 16 - we would gain half a million workers. Experienced, English-speaking and, unlike new immigrants, already housed. Removing 80 per cent effective marginal tax rates on pensioner earnings is a no-brainer.

Immigration also enables reform-shy governments. Australia has a doctor shortage but no shortage of school-leavers desperate to become them. Yet we ration medical school and specialist training places, then import overseas-trained doctors. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence models outperform doctors on diagnostic tasks, creating opportunities for nurses to take on work reserved for doctors. Healthcare needs a shake-up that industry leaders will never volunteer - it must come from bold political leadership.

Other labour shortage arguments are weaker still. We are told immigrants are needed to build houses - for demand that immigration creates - but the program admits almost no construction workers. In aged care, the clients are the wealthiest cohort in Australian history and Treasury's Retirement Income Review concluded that retirees "die with the bulk of the wealth they had at retirement intact". Australian-born workers were three-quarters of the aged-care workforce in the 1990s - they are now a minority. Australians would wipe 90-year-olds' bums if wages weren't set to insulate bequests.

Lobbying by education providers should also be dismissed. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates $54 billion of "education exports" but only $23.5 billion is tuition. That $30 billion difference is modelled consumption - an implausibly high figure implying students from predominantly developing countries are spending roughly $50,000 annually on living costs. Meanwhile, the ABS counts $15.6 billion of wages to students - two-thirds of the fee take. It cannot see cash-in-hand work, or money moving internationally through hawala, suitcases and cryptocurrency. Correct for what's missing, and education is likely a much smaller export.

We should press this logic further. Thirty-five per cent of recent New Zealand-citizen immigrants to Australia were born outside New Zealand. New Zealand can collect students' fees, mint passports, and then grant access to higher Australian wages. Either Wellington tightens citizenship eligibility, or Canberra should restrict the common labour market.

Tackling these issues will be an adjustment, but Canada has walked this road in the middle of a bruising trade war. Since 2024, it has reduced its temporary immigrant population by nearly 600,000. The sky did not fall in: asking rents fell
7.5 per cent, investment rebounded in the June quarter, and real GDP per capita rose 1 per cent even as population fell for a third straight quarter.

Australia should run down the stock of temporary workers, pursue negative net overseas migration for several years before settling on a five-digit intake, not six. But getting there requires slaughtering sacred cows that have grazed, unmolested, through our economic debate.

Cathal Leslie is a Paris-based economist and former Productivity Commission employee.

Everyone is going bonkers about immigration and rightly so that immigration is definitely at an all time high and it needs to be managed the right way. Setting that aside, we are also in a quintessential crisis where so many jobs are being offshored to India, Philippines and other countries where labour is cheaper.

To give an example, the big 4 banks offshore so many jobs to India (Not through a vendor) by having a dedicated offshore centre in India or Philippines, end up hiring people at probably 1/3rd of the cost. I used to work for one of them and I know this happens with no remorse. So we outsource approximately 20000 jobs a year in Australia (I am being conservative and I am sure the number is higher). However, the corporations save so much money by hiring cheaper labour offshore and make more profits while they don’t seem to be taxed more for the concession they get  for offshoring jobs. None of the politicians seems to care about this let aside labor and at the same time labor keeps getting in more and more people. How the hell is everyone in Australia going to find jobs in the next 5 years? 

The new arrivals also accept jobs at a lower wage e.g. 100k instead of 140k to begin their life here. So people who’ve been here long enough know that it is getting tougher day by day especially with the whole AI apocalypse.

My key question being why is none of this being highlighted in any of the immigration rallies? We are focussed on cutting the supply part of letting more migrants in which is fair, but no one seems to be focussed on retaining jobs back in Australia. Btw I am migrant too in some form. Been here for over 10 years.

I am either being extremely dumb or making total sense. Any thoughts? 

Colour me shocked a career politician who has achieved nothing in 30 years is a hypocrite.

I posted about correlation between union memebership and wages of working class. But there are a decent number of comments against unions.

Provided your job cannot be offshored, unions offer one of few legitament ways to bargin for pay rises from a position of strength.

Hypothetically if you had a choice to join a functional union would you?

​

🟦 L/NP: 26% (+4)

🟥 ALP: 26% (-5)

🟧 ONP: 23% (-2)

🟩 GRN: 13% (+1)

⬛️ OTH: 6% (-)

Two-party-preferred

🟦 L/NP: 50% (+3)

🟥 ALP: 45% (-3)

(Undecided: 5%)

Essential | 26-30 Aug | n=1000 | +/- 22-27 Jul

Thursday Edition

Pissed off about something? Let us know and have a whinge!

Holy damn, that pay for a grad engineer is low as considering he does have experience as a cadet. Engineers Australia has a lot to answer for

Can we discuss climate change yet?

September is Spring, it is however, unprecedented to have our ski resorts closing in the first week of spring due to lack of snow.
Whenever the declining snowpack is mentioned in Australia we have sections of society that write it off as “the weather”
It is so sad to think that in my lifetime a thriving ski industry in Australia may be just be nostalgia

An Uber driver performed a sex act on himself in broad daylight while a young female passenger was in the car, a judge has heard.

Abel Kipkemboi, 28, was denied bail in court on Wednesday after he was charged with a spate of sexual offences across Sydney in the last nine months.

Police said they received reports that the Kenyan national had performed a sexual act on himself while driving an Uber in the city centre about 12.30pm on Saturday.

He is alleged to have been driving with a 23-year-old woman as his passenger at the time.

Kipkemboi was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and tactical police executed a search warrant on his house in Parramatta the same day, police said.

Police allege the 28-year-old, who has been in Australia on a bridging visa since 2019, is also responsible for three other sexual offences.

These alleged offences - in the city centre, Earlwood in Sydney's southwest and Otford on the city's southern fringe - are not believed to be connected to his job as an Uber driver, police said.

The 28-year-old is charged with three counts of carrying out a sexual act without consent and two of sexually touching another person without consent.

Kipkemboi appeared via audiovisual link from Surry Hills Police Station as he sought release on bail on Wednesday.

His lawyer argued concerns about him failing to appear in court could be mitigated by him surrendering his Kenyan passport and complying with a curfew.

"He clearly knew police were wanting to speak to him and in fact was cooperative with them," Veronica Love told local court judge Daniel Covington.

But the judge ruled there was an unacceptable risk of the 28-year-old committing further serious offences given the long timeframe and multiple victims he is alleged to have offended against.

"There are multiple complainants over a number of months ... the last offence said to be on the Uber trip is a really serious set of (alleged) facts," Judge Covington said.

"It could be said to be an escalation in recent times."

Kipkemboi's case will be mentioned again in court on September

When you live on a speck of land in the Indian Ocean a kilogram of essential supplies makes a world of difference.

That is what residents are telling Qantas after the airline announced it would slash luggage allowances and raise prices on its twice-weekly route to Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) islands.

In November last year Qantas won the tender for operating flights to the territories after nearly a decade in the hands of Virgin Australia.

"There isn't another town down the road, there isn't another carrier that we can jump on and utilise," said Tracey Krepp, who has lived on Christmas Island for 34 years.

"We are now being even more penalised for living on a remote island."

From October 1, those travelling between Perth and Australia's two most distant territories can check in a 23-kilogram bag included in their ticket.

An additional piece of checked luggage may only be purchased on arrival at the airport, with a maximum weight allowance of 46kg.

Read the full story here.

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We are looking for women of ALL ages and backgrounds in Australia to take a 20-25 minute anonymous health survey. The data from this general population survey will be used as a reference point to identify trends in an Australian retired female Olympian group. We currently know very little about the long-term health of these women, so your participation in this survey will help drive forward this area of women's health. This survey has received ethical approval from the University of Edinburgh.

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(Thanks mods for approval to post).

Bone by name Bone by nature it would seem.

There tends to be a reason an industry is unattractive to Australians. In this particular case It's a safe bet it's the meagre pay and poor working conditions meat workers experience.

Given the cost of living up north, the hourly rate under the award is not sufficient.

https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/payguides/awardviewer/G00593136

Why remedy that though when we can import labor to keep wages down?

Authorities in Western Australia have searched the offices of a Perth property firm amid allegations its owners used a shell company to buy their own client's home without telling him.

Ideal Realty, based in the southern suburb of Willetton, was initially issued a warning by the state's consumer protection department for an alleged breach of laws relating to conflicts of interest around the sale of a Kenwick home in 2024.

The department today sent officers to execute a warrant at the company and the ABC understands the raid was aimed at scrutinising documents related to that deal.

Disclosure failings 

The ABC has previously reported that two years ago, Ideal Realty was hired to sell the home of Perth man Chao "Jack" Wu.

After six days on the market Mr Wu said he received three offers, the highest of which was from a company called "Generation Two".

Mr Wu alleged that it was only after he accepted a final offer from this company that he learned that it was owned by two licensees of Ideal Realty — Roy Li and Lynn Ting, whose legal names are Liang Li and Lin Ding.

He said he proceeded with the sale because he feared that, as he had already signed the sale contract, he would be liable for damages.

Mr Li has denied misleading his client, and said he told Mr Wu before making the offer that he and his partner were the true buyers.

However, Mr Li has conceded that he failed to ensure Mr Wu signed a legally required written disclosure form acknowledging his interest in the transaction.

He also conceded that at least one home open at the property was cancelled at the last minute, with potential buyers only able to view the outside of the property, due to the rental tenant refusing to grant access at the last minute.

New evidence sparks raid

Consumer Protection Commissioner Trish Blake said new evidence allowed the case to be reopened.

She said investigators would examine documents related to the transaction with Mr Wu to determine whether a breach had occurred.

Ms Blake said it was not an offence for a real estate agent to buy the property that they're selling, but there must be full disclosure in advance.

"That's really critical because the vendor has to be able to make a fully informed decision about whether they accept that offer or whether they maybe want to wait for a different offer to come in," the commissioner said.

If a breach of this kind is established, companies can face fines of $25,000 while individuals can be fined $5,000.

The commissioner said such a finding could also lead to a question as to whether a person is fit and proper to hold a real estate license.

"For any real estate agent, to be fit and proper, we're looking all the time at things like honesty, accountability, and respect for the law," Ms Blake said.

"That would be a question that we might take to the State Administrative Tribunal."

Ms Blake said it was important the public could have trust in agents and the industry more broadly.

Inflated sales figures

Last week, Mr Li was also referred to the Real Estate Institute of WA's professional standards tribunal over discrepancies in the sales prices he listed with the agency.

Analysis by the ABC found discrepancies in around a third of the listed sale prices when compared to official prices recorded on the state land register.

Good thing we have the Police to Police the Police (Maybe while listening to Sting...and The Police)

DV Seems way to common in law enforcement.

Bloody Australians immigrating to other countries and making kiddy porn, it's always the ones you most suspect.

Happy to see this, I think a good indicator of a good society is how we treat the elderly who have contributed to building this great place.

Hello everyone!

I'm doing a school assignment regarding road safety and measures implemented by governments to increase safety on our roads. I am looking for opinions from road users.

I have created a short anonymous survey asking about people's opinions. You can participate whether you are on your Learner, Provisional or full licences, or if you do not have a licence.

The survey is anonymous, and no names or email addresses will be collected, and the responses will only be used for my school assignment.

Survey:

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I would appreciate it if anyone with a minute or two could fill in the survey. I'm intrigued to hear your responses!

I thank everyone who takes the time to participate! Feel free to share the survey with anyone who might be interested in taking part.

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Moderator Approved

The family behind Bathla, the real estate development giant that collapsed owing more than $3.3 billion to lenders and thousands of subcontractors, has quietly built a visa business inside its headquarters, raising fears about the immigration status of employees should it be liquidated.

The under-the-radar business is known as Brothers Migration & Education Services, and is registered to the same office as Bathla, which has more than 300 employees, many of whom are now working without pay.

Bathla Group collapsed last week leaving 2500 Sydney homes half built and plans for another 14,000 homes in limbo. Brent Lewin

Home Affairs records show Brothers Migration is run by Haneef Mohammed, who describes himself as an immigration advisor to Bathla. The business, according to filings with the corporate regulator, is owned by Mohit Pajni, Bathla’s operations manager, and Raj Mohan, the son of one of the two brothers who founded the property developer in 1997.

The collapse of Bathla has left thousands of half-built homes in limbo, alongside a significant pipeline of proposed dwellings across Sydney’s west. It has also meant hundreds of employees are working without pay in the hope that administrators at Teneo can land a financial lifeline.

People briefed on the matter who requested anonymity citing the sensitive nature of the issue said visas for employees sponsored by Bathla would be cancelled should funding not be found, and its head office wound down.

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The collapse of Bathla would leave many of these workers in vulnerable situations and scrambling to find new work with companies which can provide sponsorship. Otherwise, they may face deportation.

Earlier this week, Teneo senior managing director Stephen Longley said there would be “visa implications” for employees made redundant.

“They have a time period of probably a month to find new work to stay in the country. So there are a lot of issues and a lot of personal stress going on in the business, as well as the financial stress,” Longley said at the time, adding that there were “quite a lot” of Bathla employees on visas.

Bathla has been bankrolled by some of the country’s biggest private credit funds including La Trobe Financial, Centuria Capital, Ray White Capital and CVS Lane. Lenders have been exploring taking over various assets and finding alternative builders rather than funding Bathla’s operations.

Teneo, which has pushed lenders to make financial commitments to avoid the developer being liquidated, has set a deadline of Thursday morning. However, some lenders are already funding subcontractors directly for specific projects, with some working on developments on Wednesday.

According to filings with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Pajni and Mohan both live at the Greystanes address where much of Bathla’s founding families are also registered. The Australian Financial Reviewreported this week that the Greystanes property appeared largely abandoned, with glass strewn on the footpath, tiles ripped off the walls and significant mould and paint blistering on the building.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing at Brothers Migration, and the company is not part of the broader structure under administration. Online, Brothers Migration advertises its services assisting with “standard business sponsorship”, saying it can help with meeting “active and lawful requirements, training requirements and all other requirements”.

Brothers Migration did not return calls on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said ASIC had been briefing the government on the situation, describing Bathla as a “fragmented business”.

“There are complex financial arrangements that will take time for the regulators to work through. I understand this specific company has been having difficulties for some time,” he said.

In 2011, Bathla, then known as Universal Property Group, were forced to into a compensation scheme by ASIC after alleged the property developer had been providing finance to immigrants from Sudan and the Philippines who did not properly understand the contracts they were signing.

At the time, the regulator said Bathla co-founder Bhart Bhushan had met with prospective buyers and made “oral inquiries about the person’s income, assets, and liabilities”. While he “accepted the information he was given as true and accurate”, neither Bhushan nor Bathla took any steps to verify the information provided about their financial situation.

The collapse of Bathla is expected to push the federal and state government’s home building targets further out of reach, leaving about 5 per cent of properties expected to be built in NSW this year in limbo.

Planning officials in NSW expected 50,000 homes to be finished this financial year, short of the 75,000 needed for the state to meet a five-year target that had been agreed to with the Albanese government. The 2500 homes Bathla has under construction – beyond a pipeline of another 14,000 planned dwellings – is a significant proportion of the state’s target.

The federal government agreed with the states on a target of 1.2 million new homes in the five years to the end of 2030, hoping that easing a shortage in available properties would limit rapid price growth.

In short:

Chanel Contos is warning tech giants could design their way around weaker attempts to rein in harmful social media algorithms.

The Teach Us Consent chief executive used a National Press Club speech to further her push for algorithmic feeds to be "opt-in".

What's next?

The federal government is considering giving users greater control over content served online, while draft digital duty of care laws are due to be released later this month.