A way to boost regional towns

Recent media reports have disclosed a possible Federal Government initiative to make changes to regional skilled visas to bind migrants to rural areas even after they secure a permanent place in Australia. Many migrants who were specifically sponsored for regional jobs are leaving those jobs and moving to the cities, perpetuating skills shortages in regional towns.

We strongly support this proposal but we also believe in a reduction of immigration to Australia, which includes the ranks of professionals and skilled people. We say this because there is a relationship between the rising number of immigrants, increasing problems with infrastructure shortage and environmental matters in major cities. It is also necessary to keep pace with the process of reducing immigration by stricter control and, where applicable, cancelling welfare assistance and access to public housing.

The impact of this is that it is creating a generation who are not productive to the Australian community while also stealing the aspirations of local, young people. As a result of their dependence on assistance from the Federal Government and public housing, local youth refuse to work in trades or other skilled jobs. This sends a message to immigrants and skilled people from outside Australia to enter the country and abuse the laws including social and humanitarian programs. We are not saying this is widespread but it is a growing concern in the community as new immigrants seemingly take advantage of Australia’s welfare and public housing system.

The initiative to bind new immigrants to working and living outside of the main cities and into rural communities will be of tremendous benefit to the local communities and industry. It will create multicultural rural communities like Australia had in past. These smaller towns will benefit from a reversal of the perpetual population drain they are currently experiencing.

We also support any initiative that will require unemployed youth to join the Australian Defence Force. It has been known since the time of the Ancient Greeks that training in the military, called Ephebus, took youth and developed them into citizens who contributed to society. This is what Australia needs _ focused youth who in time will lead this country through the rest of the 21st Century and beyond and ensure that they pass these traits onto their children.

Editor in Chief