Immigration issues have been all over the news lately for all the wrong reasons. But what about skilled migration? It’s difficult to justify restricting skilled migration when Australia’s north has such a pronounced requirement for it. Even though pay rises are great for the workers, it does little to address the real problems of skill shortages, not to mention the impact these wages have on inflation and housing affordability. Here is an article from the West Australian suggesting that what we need are more skilled workers, not higher wages for the few we have.
Speaking of skilled migration, while Julia Gillard is in China she will no doubt be talking to companies eager for access to major construction projects in the resources sector. This article in the Business Spectator sets out some of the benefits of letting Chinese workers into Australia to help ease the skills shortage in construction and infrastructure projects.
Would you believe Wayne Swan if he told you that there was no mining boom and that record high commodity prices will not bring the budget back to surplus? Peter Costello doesn’t, here he is talking about how we should be making the most of this unprecedented mining boom and saving for the future. What’s more, here is an ABC article which makes reference to a Deloitte report stating that the mining boom is likely to keep Australia afloat, when every other industry is struggling. Moreover, KPMG have just issued a report showing that just four mining companies accounted for 47% of profits from the ASX50, up from 20% a decade. Which economy does Wayne Swan think he is running?
On the off chance you believed Julia Gillard and Greg Combet when they claimed that millions would be better off under the carbon tax, read here as the IPA’s Tim Wilson demonstrates in last weeks The Australian that it’s not a piece of cake figuring out how much carbon tax you’ll pay… on a piece of cake.
Speaking of the carbon tax, in this and coming months I’ll be visiting towns all over North Queensland to talk about the carbon tax and the consequences it will have on northern Australia. I’ll be bringing Professor Bob Carter with me – he’s a geologist and environmental scientist, Adjunct Professor at James Cook University and the author of ‘Climate: the Counter-Consensus’.
Over the past few days we’ve been in Mackay and Charters Towers, we’ll be visiting Townsville on the 29thof April. If you’re interested in coming along send an email to Robert Phayer on rphayer@ipa.org.au or call (03) 9600 4744.
Here are the details:
Mackay: Wednesday 27 April 2011 – with remarks from Mr George Christensen MP, Federal Member for Dawson
5.45pm for 6pm start
Lynette Denny Room
Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre
Alfred Street, Mackay
Charters Towers:
Thursday 28 April 2011 – with remarks from Mr Bob Katter MP, Federal Member for Kennedy
5.15pm for 5.30pm start
Arthur Titley Centre
101 Mossman St, Charters Towers
Townsville: Friday 29 April 2011
7am for 7.15am start
Coral Sea Room
Jupiters Townsville Hotel & Casino
Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville
For more information visit www.ipa.org.au/events. RSVP to Rob Phayer at rphayer@ipa.org.au or on (03) 9600 4744.