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Monday February 13, 2012

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  • Troy on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I have seen this family fighting day after day for months trying to get their kids/siblings back home. The dedication and ... more
  • Pauline on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS have destroyed my own family. They failed in their duty of care to provide a baby moniter for the deaf , thousands of ... more
  • Christine on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' isn't it funny how DHS don't recognise the psychological effects of domestic violence on children and continue to allow ... more
  • Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' There is a family In the Cairns Area who are Foster Carers.Atherton Child Safety have threatened the carers and own ... more
  • duncan on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i have spent time with this family. it is a house full of love. "mum", grandfather and older sblings.this cannot be an issue ... more
  • Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Family Law is different from the rest of the law in this country.. Ie. Family Law is based on probability: ie if it might ... more
  • carol annetta on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' having known this family for some time i am disgusted with the treatment she has received. it seems more of a witch hunt ... more
  • Maureen Hillary on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Derryn,I have counselled traumatized parents as a result of DHS staff.There are great staff workers who care but they ... more
  • Janet Tavener on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I am a visitor to this country.My attention was drawn to the case of these children and their foster mother by a relative of ... more
  • sam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Happening in Tasmania also.Wewon a court case over 8 months ago and due process still hasn't been done.We spent 17,000 ... more
  • Anne Glover on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I just cannot believe what the DHS has put the Foster Mother, and the children through - I thought the DHS was supposed to ... more
  • Tracey on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' DHS are the most disgraceful organization I have ever had the displeasure of becoming involved with. They are so ... more
  • Vicki on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hi Derryn,I have known this carer since primary school, she has always put others above herself. Being a carer myself I know ... more
  • Gran'ma Pam on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' As any of us with any sense know, these children should NEVER have been taken from this lady (mum) in the first place, they ... more
  • Dominic Lombardo on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' I see my daughter every six months DHS are conducting a vendetta against me I have not been told why I can only see her ... more
  • cassy houghton on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Hello Derryn,Firstly i would like to thankyou for your support and the willingness to help this beautiful family.I ... more
  • Warrior princess on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Im a carer also in Qld. I see this happen way too much from our Government. They are starting to use Carers own children as ... more
  • paul on "I'll pay the fee," says Hinch I believe what Liberal Party has done is stupid. But I feel for candidates like Joh Bauch and James Buonopane who want to ... more
  • Andrea on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' Why are these public servants allowed to blatantly flout the law without the same consequences the rest of society faces? I ... more
  • birth mother on Help Hinch fight DHS 'pinheads' i am the birth morther of these 4 children and i just want to say dhs dont care they just want the kids in care so they can ... more

'Unfortunately you're still alive'

Posted by: Derryn Hinch | 14 August, 2010 - 3:34 PM
Dick Smith's ideas challenged in on-air debate

HINCH INTERVIEWS DICK SMITH:

"Hi Derryn, I'd rather hope you just died back then but unfortunately you're still alive and so we've got one more mouth to feed," said Dick Smith at the start of interview with the 3AW host.

It appears Mr Smith, who's been given a massive free ride in the media this week, didn't like the editorial Hinch delivered below prior to the interview.

Play Audio - Click Here

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EDITORIAL: That irrepressible entrepreneur and millionaire adventurer, Dick Smith, was in the news this week. Trying to be an Antipodean version of Richard Branson. There were five buxom blondes in tight t-shirts and a million dollars in cash. Smith was publicising last night’s documentary  on the ABC  about population growth and immigration and also his campaign to give a million bucks to somebody who best comes up with a vision for Australia. As long as it is not a BIG Australia.

The documentary, which Smith contributed a lot of the money to make, was followed by a special edition of Q and A hosted by Tony Jones and flawed by the appearance of the Collins Street version of Mark Latham. That graceless oaf John Elliott.

To his credit Smith was making this doco about his perceived dangers of a Bug Australia long before Gillard rolled Rudd. Long before an election was called. Back when everybody from Howard to Abbott to Rudd to Gillard were saluting a Big Australia.

Now supporters of population growth are hard to find – even though Australia’s population is still smaller than the population of California.

And the critics who hide behind the euphemism ‘sustainable growth’ can’t seem to come up with a figure.

Remember former Labor leader Bill Hayden was predicting and advocating a population of 50 million thirty years ago.

Then the figure came down to 35 million by 2050. Now, it seems, the doomsayers want a population freeze.

How you sustain an economy, and build a work force paying taxes to pay the pensions and health services for  the Baby Boomers in retirement, without a growing population is beyond me.

The easy target is migrants. Even though a quarter of us were born overseas – including Gillard and Rudd . The message seems to be that  we were the ‘ right type of migrant’ and ‘We’re here, we’re happy, so shut the gate’.

Ths doesn’t mean queue jumpers and  illegal boat people should get a welcome mat. Far from it.

But I watched Dick Smith’s self-indulgent doco last night, which had a touch of the Leyland Brothers about it, and I thought two things:

He seemed to want to go back and be frozen in Aeroplane Jelly land, where you played cricket in the backyard and life was simpler. And there were far less people. Especially wogs. Well, the world’s  shrunk and it has changed.

And second: Dick Smith made his fortune I’m sure selling TV sets and other electronic gadgets to that growing army of migrant families building here for a better life.

Now he’s some sort of sack and ashes, anti-growth guru. Somehow it just doesn’t sit.

Blog comments Your Say

  • It is really offensive that academics and commentators from overseas promote population growth for Australia. Many of them come from over populated countries and enjoy our lifestyles, but then expect us to go down the road of a "big Australia" as if we were offensively under-populated! They should be aware that Australia is a land of wide horizons and sweeping plains. They should be aware of our cultural sensitivities, and respect our natural heritage and indigenous people. Most Australians like Australia the way it is, and our sovereignty and our birth right should be respected.

    VivKay Monday 16 August, 2010 - 3:13 PM

  • Dick Smith is spot on about the lack of any public policies on population growth and poulation levels for Australia. It is basic common sense.

    Hezza Monday 16 August, 2010 - 1:27 PM

  • Yes that's right, let's stay greedy and use the current growth model and keep putting more pressure on resources and infrastructure. It has obviously worked well in China, India and other over populated areas; so well that they want to come here! We have to learn to manage, not grow.

    Luke Monday 16 August, 2010 - 1:15 PM

  • "Now supporters of population growth are hard to find â?? even though Australiaâ??s population is still smaller than the population of California"! We can't compare California or any country with Australia. Australia has some of the poorest soils in the world, and is one of the driest nations. We are also leading mammal exterminators. Most of the overpopulated developing countries are much more fertile and environmnentally rich than Australia. We are on track to suffer more than most countries from climate change. California is suffering from fires, overpopulation, water shortages and excessive immigration. If the population continues to climb, food security, the potential to produce enough food so that people in California can lead healthy and productive lives, will be significantly stressed. This is the reason why we should be listening to Dick Smith and avoid the problems of California and the rest of the planet!

    Matilda B Monday 16 August, 2010 - 11:42 AM

  • What a hideous thing to say to anyone ""Hi Derryn, I'd rather hope you just died back then but unfortunately you're still alive"
    I think I have just lost all my respect for Dick Smith

    Ally Scott Monday 16 August, 2010 - 9:27 AM

  • Dick Smith does not own his store "dick smith" any more. Woolworths owns it.
    Amazingly there are people quite prepared to ignore reality and continue with the fantasy that we can keep filling up a cup and it will never overflow! Somehow, the human race is so exceptional, that they can defy the laws of physics, biology and ecology and just keep growing.
    Nobody has actually contracted what Dick Smith revealed in his doco. The objectors simply thrust their ideologies, their economic theories, onto the topic. There are too many conflicts of interests involved in promoting ongoing population growth, and so much money to be made. Future generations will condemn us if our numbers continue to grow.

    Matilda B Monday 16 August, 2010 - 9:08 AM

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