Greens leader Richard Natale has admitted he agrees with former prime minister Tony Abbott’s call to cut immigration.
The left-wing party leader told journalists in Canberra big business was behind the push for high population growth.
‘The notion that we need a big Australia based on economic drivers is not one we support,’ he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Greens leader Richard Natale (pictured) has admitted he agrees with former prime minister Tony Abbott’s call to cut immigration
The left-wing party leader told journalists in Canberra big business was behind the push for high population growth
‘Often this is an argument that is run by the business community.’
With Australia’s population set to surpass the 25 million milestone this year, Tony Abbott has called for the nation’s net annual immigration rate to be slashed from 190,000 to 110,000.
However Senator Di Natale, who hails from Melbourne, declined to explicitly confirm he agreed with the former Liberal PM even though reducing population growth is Greens policy.
‘I don’t buy into the debate that Tony Abbott is trying to run at the moment,’ he said.
With Australia’s population set to surpass the 25 million milestone this year, Tony Abbott has called for the nation’s net annual immigration rate to be slashed from 190,000 to 110,000
‘He is not having a debate about population, he is having a debate about the leadership of the Liberal Party. It is not a sophisticated debate about immigration.’
Under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s watch, Australia’s population is growing at 1.6 per cent a year, which is more than double the United States’ 0.7 per cent and well above the world average of 1.1 per cent.
Millionaire businessman Dick Smith has called for Australia’s net annual immigration rate to return to the 20th century average of 70,000 a year, a position shared by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
Millionaire businessman Dick Smith has called for Australia’s net annual immigration rate to return to the 20th century average of 70,000 a year, a position shared by Pauline Hanson
Under Malcolm Turnbull’s watch, Australia’s population is growing at 1.6 per cent a year, which is more than double the United States’ 0.7 per cent (Sydney’s Bondi Beach pictured)
Like them, the Greens agree ‘population policy should not be primarily driven by economic goals or to counter the effects of an ageing population’.
‘The current level of population, population growth and the way we produce and consume are outstripping environmental capacity,’ the party’s policy platform said.
Despite agreeing with Tony Abbott, Senator Di Natale said the debate about reducing population growth should not be held as the former Liberal prime minister makes efforts to destabilise Malcolm Turnbull.
‘We are very happy to have that debate but let’s not have it in an environment when what is actually happening is a proxy war between the Prime Minister and the former prime minister,’ he said.