NSW Senator welcomes a 'big Australia'

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Created on Tuesday, 07 January 2014 14:56

Written by Editorial staff

Sam Dastyari, Senator of New South Wales, gave a stirring presentation at Parliament last month, declaring his support for immigration visas and a "big Australia".

The Senator is himself a migrant, having made Down Under his permanent home when he moved here from Iran with his family in the 1980s.

"Immigration adds to our national wealth. Immigration is nation building. Immigration makes us strong," said Mr Dastyari, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

This attitude towards Australia's immigration program stands in stark contrast to that expressed by the previous government, which both the Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald report focussed on keeping the number of people travelling to our country on 457 visas to a minimum.

That's because there were fears we would not be able to cope with the growth in population that has been projected for Australia. However, Mr Dastyari believes these fears are unfounded.

"A population of 35 million by 2050 should not be feared, it should be embraced," he said to The Australian on January 3.

The Kiwis are certainly doing their bit to see this projection realised - the latest figures from News.com.au reveal the number of New Zealanders migrating to Australia rose by 40 per cent during the global financial crisis.