The pandemic has snapped the 'Big Australia' population rush. Morrison will soon fix that.

The Opposition Leader didn't react directly to Keneally. Indirectly, he was "not happy". His ensuing Vision Statement cited infrastructure, manufacturing and fairness. Not population.

Similarly, Frydenberg's May Statement ignored population. But I'd expect Morrison, to formally reintroduce mass migration. By (or in) October Budget 2020. I'd expect Albanese, to fall into line. As Kim Beazley did, for Howard.

The lobbyists will be relieved. They were fretting, even before Keneally intervened.

Important blokes like Ross Garnaut, Bill Evans, Martin Parkinson and Abul Rizvi. Pushing hard for migration-reflation, as the saloon passage to economic recovery. Other developed nations won't "envy" us that particular pathway.

Most "mainstream" economists are population boosters. Notably, our Reserve Bank chief. An interesting exception is Judith Sloan. Her angle wouldn't cut it. At Morrison's gas-fired COVID Commission.

While his property pals demand and get, regressive "home builder" grants. And still require the migration reboot. While the higher education lobby pleads for the full return of international students. Pre COVID, these contributed close to half of net migration.

Imagine if, environment or electors had the same clout, as mates and lobbyists. What requests might they slip through the sliding doors?

The environment, she might lean Hull's way. As do official State of the Environment reports and a notable ANU report. She's in trouble. And knows it's much harder than initialling the pledge for net zero 2050.

Voters, who carry the household load of Big Australia, tend to favour lower immigration and population growth. Post COVID, this Essential poll leans toward the Keneally line.

COVID gave us a glimpse of, people first, economy second. If too trusting of China, we've handled it much better, than US or UK. Who gave us the neoliberal virus in the first place.

We ought to be resourceful enough, to rebuild an economy less radically reliant on immigration. Me, I'd about halve the tailend of the McDonald-Morrison kite. Because, Aussie-style "jobs and growth" is a continuing recipe for low productivity. In summary then:

* Our real (or Treasury) population plan primarily defends market or "GDP growth" requirements, rather than standards of living per se.

* There being a powerful population lobby, and little electoral or environmental input, this plan will quickly revert to mass migration.

* The Morrison and Commonwealth-State population "plans" are fronts for the Treasury line.