Australia must match skilled immigration visa allocations with actual job offers, says Sustainable Population Australia (SPA). No job – no visa.
An embarrassing, government skilled migration jobs list, hilariously includes jobs for which there are no noted vacancies, such as:
- blacksmith,
- acupuncturist,
- actor,
- singer and
- archaeologist
and occupations that are arguably, low skill, like:
- Boarding Kennel or Cattery Operator and
- dog handler.
A full list of occupations is listed on the SPA website.
Michael Bayliss - Spokesperson and Communications Manager - Sustainable Population Australia
"What low opinion must the Australian government hold on the skill set of their constituents if they feel they must look overseas for qualified dog groomers?"
"For the past two decades, governments have been systematically slashing tertiary training within Australia. They then cry foul claiming we have no option but to gather skills from overseas. This is a case of politicians finding solutions for the problems they created in the first place."
"Unlike our political leaders, Sustainable Population Australia offers actual solutions instead of more problems. SPA's Six Great Immigrations Solutions recommends that visas should not be issued unless there is an employer willing to sponsor an applicant. Guest workers can fill seasonal needs in some areas, so long as they are strictly temporary and don't bring family members and the program itself doesn't keep expanding. That way, Australia can manage a stable population."
Peter Strachan - National President, Sustainable Population Australia
"If skilled migration was the solution, how is it that after adding 5.5 million migrants to Australia's population this century, the skill shortages seem worse than ever?"
"Most labour shortages are caused by the high population growth itself. We have many more construction workers per million Australians than just about any other developed country, but they're not keeping pace with the need for new homes."
"The Grattan Institute reports that Migrants who arrived in Australia less than five years ago account for just 2.8% of the construction workforce, which accounts for 4.4% of all workers in Australia."
"The signal is that all temporary visas are pathways to permanence as advertised on The Home Affairs web site, where applicants are advised that they can: live, work and study in Australia indefinitely; sponsor eligible family members to come to Australia; apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible."
"At a time of increasing global uncertainty and rising risks associated with conflict, weather extremes, fractured trade logistics and the prospect of rising food insecurity, a policy of rapid population expansion would be foolish in the extreme."
