Senator Smith (Dean Smith) of the Liberal Party urged Tembo to approve a wide-ranging Senate investigation into Australia`s population policy, saying the recent decline in immigration levels was far from enough to allay community concerns about population growth.
As Australia`s population reaches 25 million next month, the western Australian senator has written to the prime minister, finance minister Morrison and home secretary Dutton, urging them to support a year-long investigation.
According to the Newspoll published on Monday, 72 percent of voters supported Mr. Tan`s government`s annual permanent immigration quota cut by more than 10 percent, compared with just 163000 in Australia in the last fiscal year-a sharp rise in the rejection rate in the context of the fight against visa fraud.
Only 9% of the voters are strongly opposed to cutting, showing the community`s support for curbing the number of migrants, and many have said the state`s cities are unable to cope with the current population growth.
Senator Smith said he would be willing to negotiate with the Senate`s opposition party and neutral lawmakers to facilitate an investigation without the support of the government.
Melbourne`s western suburbs absorb most of the city`s new population, while residents worry that infrastructure investment has not kept up. Five years ago, Point Cook resident Agarwar (Jayesh Agarwal) and his wife, Maul Siri (Maulshri), and their first child emigrated to Australia from India.
"I think Australia needs population growth, not just growth, but people moving in and out, bringing new ideas." "but the overall infrastructure has to keep up," Agaval said.
The population of Point Cook, a former air force town, rose 49% from 2011 to 49929 in the 2016 census.
Agaval and his wife both work in CBD, and commuting is easy as long as the only road to the city doesn`t break down. "We do have buses, but they are unreliable," Mr Agaval said.
Agarwal believes there is no overpopulation in Australia, but the current distribution of population growth across Australia is uneven. "as long as I have jobs and infrastructure, I don`t mind moving to town."
According to the Newspoll, which targets 1644 voters across Australia, 47 percent "strongly agree" to cut immigration levels, 25 percent agree to some extent, and only 9 percent strongly oppose.
One-party voters have the highest approval ratings-88% agree. Unionparty voters also have a support rating of 83%.
Labour voters who agree to cut immigration are twice as many as their opponents, 64% to 32%-a sign that Schotton is out of touch with the Labor Party`s electoral base. Nearly half of Green Party voters also support the government: 49% strongly or somewhat agree, and 44% disapprove.
Senator Smith said that although former finance minister Costello (Peter Costello) predicted in 2002 that Australia`s population would not reach 25 million by 2042, the result would be achieved by early August.
He said the investigation should begin after parliament returns in August and last a year to avoid politicization during the federal election.
But Mr government rejected a submission from the Australian Authority on population policy. "it`s time for Australians to make a real voice every day about the future direction of Australia`s population policy, and I believe the Senate investigation will provide a community-backed stance," Senator Smith said.
