Ethics, Business and Population Policy

Business and community groups have significant roles in the shaping of policy and practice related to Australia’s population policy. This question has been a focus for public conferences in Melbourne and Sydney and for further debate in the media. Federal and state governments are been involved in the debate about their, at times different, stances on the characteristics of Australia’s population as well as issues of urban and regional location of migrants.

Some members of the business community have presented views about the need for an increased migrant intake, especially in the skills category, as a way of redressing the balance of Australia’s ageing population profile, and of providing a means of improving national performance in business and industry. Other members of the community wish to see family reunion and humanitarian intakes raised. Then there are many environmentalists who oppose any increase in population numbers, lest we harm the country’s fragile environment.

We believe it is important that before arguments start about numbers and particular skill-bases that this country may or may not need, careful attention needs to be given to the principles that ought to underpin the debate. It is important that the debate does not simply revolve around numbers of new migrants. An adequate policy has to be broader and tackle issues of fertility and mortality and a range of social factors that impact on population. The question also needs to address wider issues of the region and not just see Australia in isolation. It is also vital that the ethical principles are made explicit. This may prevent the debate becoming too narrow or too political.

The Edmund Rice Business Ethics Initiative and Australian Catholic University (ACU National) hosted the series of roundtable meetings in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Invitations and a background paper were distributed to members of peak business, community and educational organisations. At the roundtables a suggested set of principles to underpin any population policy was tabled and discussed. We are now in the process of collating the discussions and suggestions made and we plan to publish a background document and possible principles we believe ought to underpin any policy on Australia’s population. Our hope is that the principles will be circulated very widely to inform public debate in the business, community, church, education and environment sectors throughout Australia.    (Michael Walsh, October 2002)