Part 6/9:
A significant concern highlighted by Van Onselen was the impact of high immigration rates on Australia's productivity. He pointed to recent data showing record-high net immigration in May, raising alarms about the country's capacity to sustain growth without sacrificing efficiency.
He connected the dots between population growth, infrastructure, and productivity. Australia’s population has grown by 8.7 million this century, largely driven by immigration policies under the Labor government’s "Big Australia" approach. However, Van Onselen argued that this rapid population increase has not been matched by commensurate growth in business investment, infrastructure, or housing.