In this interview, Daniel Wild appeared on Mornings with Chris Smith on 2SM to discuss the IPA’s research on immigration.
All media appearances posted onto the IPA website are directly related to the promotion and dissemination of IPA research.
Below is a transcript of the interview.
Chris Smith:
Well, you don’t need me to tell you, but it’s the biggest migration surge in our history, and it’s happening under a government that told us they’d be putting the handbrake on immigration numbers. As a matter of fact, they’ve told us many times. New figures from the ABS show that in the first six months of this year alone, we’ve had nearly 280,000 permanent and long-term arrivals, which smashes all previous records. Six months, 280,000. Daniel Wild from the Institute of Public Affairs says this is no accident and it’s hammering Australia and Australians. Daniel Wild, welcome to the Super Radio Network.
Daniel Wild:
Good day, Chris. Great to be with you.
Chris Smith:
What do you mean it’s not an accident?
Daniel Wild:
Well, this is deliberate government policy. I mean, the federal government controls the immigration intake and they can turn the tap on or they can turn it off at their leisure and they choose not to. And the reason for this is that the only way the government has to grow our economy is through mass migration. And yes, that will make your economy bigger. If you bring more people into an economy, the size of the economic pie will get bigger. But the problem is the slice of the pie that we’re all getting is getting smaller. So mass migration is making Australians poorer, and unfortunately, this government is absolutely tone-deaf. They’re not listening, and they’re actually slamming the accelerator on at the time we need them to press the brakes.
Chris Smith:
I got a call on air yesterday without solicitation from a man who’d waited 20 and a half hours in emergency at Blacktown Hospital. He said there were others around him who’d been there for a longer period, and I sort of graded what he was after as being urgent medical attention. And yet you wait almost 24 hours. This is an area that is a magnet for immigrants. We know that because of the cheaper housing compared to the rest of Metro Sydney. This is primarily a classic example of what you are talking about, right?
Daniel Wild:
Well, that’s exactly right. I mean, you’ve put your finger on something very important, which is it’s not just about the headline economic numbers that we know show that we’re getting poorer, but it’s the actual day-to-day lived experience of Australians who are feeling the consequences of an unplanned mass migration programme. The pressure that is putting on our social services. You’ve just pointed out the healthcare system, but you could quite as easily just talk about schools or access to local child care facilities or different kind of local amenity that used to be readily accessible to all of us, but now is under strain. And look, I don’t blame the migrants themselves because of course you’d want to come to Australia. We’re the greatest nation on earth and good on them for trying to get a better life for themselves. The problem here is the government and what we need for a migration programme to be successful is for it to be planned, for the community to have been consulted on it, and for it to be targeted towards areas of economic need. And that just hasn’t happened.
Chris Smith:
Yeah. For instance, we are not filling the gap for construction workers, tradies, et cetera. The demand is huge in this country, but the minuscule numbers that come over to do those jobs are not even worth counting.
Daniel Wild:
Exactly. And the issue here is you’ve got more yoga teachers coming in than you do tradies. Now, I’m all for yoga teachers, but don’t we have enough local yoga teachers ourselves and hairdressers and so forth?
Chris Smith:
I keep hearing from the pro-immigration mob that the housing crisis is unrelated to the number of people coming into the country. But I tell you what, I’ve joined my son on long, long lines at open rental inspections, and that is a total lie.
Daniel Wild:
You’re right. You’re a hundred percent right. Anybody that’s been trying to get a rental or tried to buy a property over the last three or four years will have experienced this. I’ve experienced it myself. Many people have. You can see, people can see with their own eyes what is happening. And look, the idea that bringing more people into an economy would have no effect on the housing market goes against the very basic laws of economics, which is supply and demand. If you bring in more demand that is more people, you’ll put upwards pressure on prices. That is just the reality. Now, sure, we can build more houses and we should do, but let’s not forget that the number one cause of rising housing prices and rental costs is this unplanned for mass migration programme. And like I say, the government has absolutely no intention of winding this back at all.
Chris Smith:
Daniel Wild, thank you for putting this on the table. Thanks for your time.
Daniel Wild:
My pleasure. Thank you.
Chris Smith:
From the Institute of Public Affairs, Daniel Wild.
This transcript with Daniel Wild talking on Mornings with Chris Smith on 2SM from 15 August 2025 has been edited for clarity.
