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It is encouraging to hear Kevin Rudd say he's backed away from his "Big Australia" population policy. It's hopeful as long as he hasn't just slapped a coat of platitude on top of the tired old delusion that infinite growth is desirable or possible. This sort of "sustainable growth" is a tragic oxymoron. Even if Mr Rudd isn't genuine about the damage to our environment, he should think about what population growth will do to his election chances. Not only is our current growth unpopular with the electorate, it puts a strain on public services and a big dent in the budget. In the next hour, there will be about 40 new Australians, each expecting our standard of living. They want schools, hospitals, roads and police. When they flush the toilet several times a day, they'll expect their waste to be washed away and cleaned before being emptied into rivers. All this costs serious money, and the idea that we're just importing people with pockets stuffed full of cash is fantasy. One imagines that with his love of a balanced budget, this is also obvious to Tony Abbott. Brave thought perhaps, because it's hard to escape the conclusion his real agenda is to use the public purse to fund the importing of cheap workers.