NATIVISM'S GOOD POLITICS BUT BAD POLICY:

Migrants to kickstart economy (Steve Lewis and Elizabeth Colman, March 03, 2005, The Australian)

THE Howard Government plans a dramatic increase in its migrant intake to the highest level in decades, as part of a bid to help plug the national skills shortage threatening economic growth.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone is pushing for a massive one-year rise of 20,000 in skilled places, taking the overall migration program to about 140,000 in 2005-06 - the biggest in nearly 20 years.