Voters spoilt for choice: Peter Albanese or Anthony Dutton

Denying "self-interest", Universities Australia wants university-student numbers doubled by 2050. The following derives from their December Election Statement:

"International students drove halfof Australia's economic growth…[don't] handbrake a $50 billion industry."

This export-education hoax has been debunked since forever. How could endless rivers of casually vetted students from less wealthy nations usefully drive "growth"?

The foreign student intake clips a degree ticket and repatriates (often Chinese) or undercuts wages and stays (Indian and other).

It is a venal program not special economic sauce. Again, wouldn't a "Liberal" party be corrective?

No, they've endorsed Albanese's open-doors for Indian qualifications and students. Engaged in a virtue contest over Labor's fake 270,000 student "cap".

At May Budget, Liberals did promise net-migration falling to 160,000 (still high). By December they'd caved.

Abul Rizvi estimates our underlying or "structural" level of immigration at 300,000. Not that far wrong, after decades of naïve immigration/trade deals giving away border sovereignty for peanuts:

As Barrie couches it, why would Australia with well under 1% of world population accept 14% of global international students? Hint – not for voters.

Treasury punishes voters

Also in December, Treasurer led (misled) with two more reports.

Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) is a Peter Costello lurk. The first page of 2024-25 edition says: responsible management, budget repair, soft landing, fighting inflation.