Your comments on the skills shortage are most apposite but stop short, before the solution.

The problem is the termagant Immigration Department. We know that it is a benefit to have unimpeded flows of capital, but are too silly to make the logical jump to also have unimpeded flows of labour. Herein lays the problem.

You could earn your crust by starting to really bang on about the true enemy of the economy which is the said Department of Immigration. Their involvement in economic decision making is at Soviet level. As we all know, if public servants knew anything about economics, the Soviet Union would still be in operation.

Another problem, rural this time, is that “skill” in the real world also means being able to pick fruit effectively. Untold millions are lost because of the labour problems of farmers. The woeful Department has a few pretend programs, but the farmers’ problems remain. It is amazing that this silly government which thinks that low wages is the way forward…like Mexico et al…(and high regulated wages is the road to ruin, like Switzerland) is fighting hard to keep skilled people out of Australia, by letting the Immigration drongoes have a rules and regulations regime that would make the Soviet Agriculture Ministry smile.

As usual with our beloved capitalism, the solution is easy. Here it is…

[…] “Until First World people are ignored and allowed to come and go as the joys of capitalism wax and wane in Australia (aka the business cycle), we will never ever solve the skills shortage problem. The Immigration Commissars are interested in their bureaucratic empire, not in solving Australian economic problems.”

Henry will reply soon but is interested in the comments of others on the skills shortage issue, and indeed the solution posed by Sir Boot. The full proposal is here. Send your opinions, comments, arguments, or suggestions to Henry Thornton here.