The discussion of overpopulation lost much of its respectability from the 1980s onwards, following the forced sterilisation policies of India in the 1970s, and the one-child policy in China which began in 1980 and which was lifted to a three-child policy in May 2021. [...] Nineteenth century culture was profoundly influenced by the myth of progress symbolised, in the words of our National Anthem, by “golden soil and wealth for toil” and “boundless plains to share.” There was also fear of a “Yellow Peril” threatening to overwhelm Australia with an influx of Chinese who left their homeland during the collapse of the Qing dynasty after the Opium Wars (1839 and 1856). [...] After careful study by the AAS working party, the report concluded: “In our view, the quality of all aspects of our children's lives will be maximised if the population of Australia by the mid-21st Century is kept to the low, stable end of the achievable range, i.e. [...] It gives us an opportunity for the general community to think through the issue of immigration and to face the consequences of the adoption of a moral policy of nature first. [...] Opposition to the “Earth first” principle “Re-open” Australia Despite the fact that Australia’s economy has bounced back in 2021-2022 and there are more Australians in jobs now than before the pandemic, the pressure to re-open Australia to immigration is on from the pro-growth, business and multicultural lobbies with the support of some journalists, particularly at The Financial Review, the ABC an.
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- Australia
