Do skilled migrants need us?

Our dirty family secret is out! For years the Federal Government's policy approach painted a picture of wild immigrant hordes needing to be fenced off from our bountiful plains.

Now it would seem the bounty ain't what it should be, with the Government forced to admit what our history has always shown - Australia needs migrants.

And if trends are anything to go by, we are going to need more of them - a whole lot more of them. But will they want us? With population policy and stabilisation of the ratio of old to young workers, the Government fixated on fertility, epitomised by what came to be known as its "breeding budget" of 2004.

read more