Immigration reform: It’s a matter of skill

And the best our vocational training establishments can do is keep applying band aid solutions in order to stop the gap from widening between the quanta of skills we need at any point in time and those we have.

Why not call the functions of immigration for what they are: on the one hand, a vital tool to address skill shortages and to help with the development of our towns, cities and economy. And on the other, a cynical tool to appease constituents of non-Anglo-Saxon Australian lobby groups.

Wayne Swan's budget was devoid of any meaningful reform. Nothing on income or company taxes and even less on the on-again-off-again carbon tax.

Here's an idea, which could lift Swan's poor standing as an economic manager and at the same time, steal some of the Coalition's territory: harness immigration policy for the benefit of the economy and dispense with a focus on currying favour with ethnic groups.

Swan can start with recognising the seamlessness between, on the one hand, the tool that can modulate China's demand for our resources (this tool is called 'vocational training') and the tool to adapt to the Australian public's demand for housing, education, health care as well as most supermarket staples (this tool is called 'employment'), and on the other hand, acknowledge a tool that performs those very same functions in a very different way (this one's called 'immigration').

Given the current skills shortages and the looming catastrophic skill deficits expected, is it not time to close down the disjointed functions of three ministers: the Immigration Minister (Chris Bowen), his Tertiary Education & Skills partner (Chris Evans) and their Employment colleague (Kate Ellis) and merge their responsibilities, working as one department, hand in glove with industry, solely focused on elevating the labour force's skill set in quantum, relevance and timing, regardless of whether talent is home grown or imported.

Surely it's time for a super ministry dedicated to achieving what is so desperately needed.

Surely it's time for a Commonwealth Department of Labour.

[1]http://www.skillsaustralia.gov.au/

[2]http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/annual/2009-10/