Kelvin Thomson: Too many (imported) cooks: Australian immigration program

Australia's net overseas immigration absolutely dwarfs any asylum seeker or refugee program by about 280,000 to 20,000 people, yet almost no-one is blowing the whistle. (Planned immigration for 2013-2014 is 190,000 alone. The permanent migrant worker program called “Skilled Migration” is now completely out of whack with Australia’s current and future jobless numbers. "Whether you’re one of the many young people concerned about your future job and career prospects, or how you will purchase your first home, or an older Victorian concerned about the type of Victoria we will leave behind for future generations; Victoria First is taking up the fight," says MP, Kelvin Thomson, about this new organisation formed to fight for Victorians' democratic rights.

John Masanauskas reports in the Herald-Sun on 31 January that last year 129,000 permanent migrants arrived under Australia's permanent immigration program. (That's not counting family reunion and business immigrants). The largest occupation was cooks – more than 8000 got permanent visas. Hairdressers (1500) also made it into the top five categories. The other top five were accountants (5700), software engineers (2160) and IT business analysts (1550).

What gives? Gov Importing more skilled workers as more Australians unemployed

At the same time Australia had a 20% increase in the number of people receiving Newstart or Youth Allowance. As of December the total number of people receiving Newstart or Youth Allowance was over 827,000. Another 825,000 people are receiving the Disability Support Pension.

The Government says the welfare bill is too high, and must be cut.

How do you cut welfare if there are no jobs?

But how is it to be cut unless these people have jobs that they can go to? And what about the workers at Ford, Holden, SPC Ardmona, Qantas, and BP, who face the prospect of losing their jobs sooner rather than later? The market theory, enthusiastically promoted by this Government, is that these workers can be re-trained for, and should be prepared to work in, other areas. This theory falls flat on its face when every year we bring in 129,000 people under the permanent migrant worker program, rather than training up, and giving jobs to, our own cooks, hairdressers, and accountants. The size of the Skilled Migration program is a recipe for growing and long-term unemployment, social disadvantage and hardship, and an outsize welfare bill.

Victoria First

To fight this public policy craziness, Kelvin Thomson has set up a not for profit non-government organisation called Victoria First. Their first meeting as an incorporated organisation was yesterday, Saturday 1 February 2014, at the “Community Room” at Edinburgh Gardens in Fitzroy.

Guest speaker, Dr Ernest Healy of the Centre for Population and Urban Research of Monash University, gave his talk on "Melbourne – Heading for 'CARmageddon?” The subject was the problem of increased car ownership and dependence as Melbourne's population increases. The problem of overloaded public transport and gridiron traffic is one of many terrible problems Australians face with overpopulation. It was not, however, the only problem canvassed at the meeting on Saturday. Many other matters were put to the open mike in a packed room.

It will not be easy to unite and organise Australians in the face of the disorganising effect of mass media and government propaganda, but Thomson is showing leadership and attempting to empower. For more grass roots democracy avenues in Victoria check out some other anti-growth activists here.

Kelvin Thomson encourages all Victorians, young and old, to come to meetings of Victoria first and find out more about the problems of overpopulation. He says,

"Whether you’re one of the many young people concerned about your future job and career prospects, or how you will purchase your first home, or an older Victorian concerned about the type of Victoria we will leave behind for future generations; Victoria First is taking up the fight."