Is growth a good thing?

[Bob Kane]

Restricting the number of immigrants has been mentioned a lot lately.
The most common view expressed has been to stop all immigrants coming to NZ.
This leads me to the question about population growth.
Is it better to have an increasing population or a decreasing population?
Or better to have a static population?
I'm currently thinking in favour of an increasing population.
I think a country improves in many ways with population growth.
Of course, that country would have to have a wise government to handle the growth in a positive way.

[Perry]

You've nailed it with the last sentence.
We all know that many parts of NZ's infrastructure are groaning and cracking with the strain.
Something a wise govt. (an oxymoron) would have avoided with careful planning.

[Nick G]

It's not as easy a scenario as many of those who want to turn off the tap would have us believe. We have an aging population. We also have a well educated population. Neither of those point to a population maintaining. So what do you do? Only let people in when someone leaves? Doesn't wok at that scale. Also if you try to maintain status quo you can fall behind unless your education system is world class and productivity increases dramatically.

[Bob Kane]

All things being equal.....
I think you would enjoy life more in a country with a large population than in a country with a low population.
Open those borders!

[Nick G]

There should be some balance. But the economy moves faster than policy. We swung quickly from a net deficit to "too many people". What happens if we put skills limitations in place and it swings the other way again?

[Davo36]

All things being equal.....
I think you would enjoy life more in a country with a large population than in a country with a low population.
Open those borders!

Glib nonsense.

Why would I enjoy living in a country with a large population?

[Perry]

Indeed. There are those places elsewhere, to choose from.

As for skills limitations, that expression and context may be deceptive. It is the ones coming in who are largely devoid of skills who are seen as a potential problem.

[Bob Kane]

Glib nonsense.

Why would I enjoy living in a country with a large population?

Wonderful.
It took a while but you've finally joined in.

A large population has more choices.
If you don't want to experience anything new, then live in a small town.
This suits some people.
Equally, if you want to experience more than you currently have, travel to a bigger place.

[Bob Kane]

It is the ones coming in who are largely devoid of skills who are seen as a potential problem.

They would match 30% of our secondary school leavers and no-one seems to mind their lack of skills.
These unskilled immigrants are motivated to work which makes them more valuable than some who are born here.

[partya]

To quote -

All things being equal.....
I think you would enjoy life more in a country with a large population than in a country with a low population.

Maybe this is a provocative statement and an attempt to get people to contribute to the thread? Obviously the answer to this question is dependant on the person.

To contribute, do you think that the tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of people that move to NZ or want to move to NZ move here (or want to move here) because they enjoy living in countries with large populations so much? I don't think so......

[Davo36]

Wonderful.
It took a while but you've finally joined in.

A large population has more choices.
If you don't want to experience anything new, then live in a small town.
This suits some people.
Equally, if you want to experience more than you currently have, travel to a bigger place.

Wow, yes I guess I could move to China or India to experience new things. They then must automatically be better countries. They're all rich in those countries right?

Oh but of course as many of them as can are moving here! What? That can't be right! Their bigger countries are obviously better than our teeny tiny one, by your definition.

Could it be that you're 100% wrong and most people are coming to NZ precisely because it's underpopulated?

[Bob Kane]

To contribute, do you think that the tens of thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of people that move to NZ or want to move to NZ move here (or want to move here) because they enjoy living in countries with large populations so much? I don't think so......

I think the majority of people who move here do so to escape the corruption and related matters in the country where they reside.
Population doesn't come into it.
NZ is a safe place.
Remember I said all things being equal?
When that is the case then a larger population gives more choices.

[Bob Kane]

Could it be that you're 100% wrong and most people are coming to NZ precisely because it's underpopulated?

No, I don't think I'm wrong.
Most of the immigrants are coming here to escape worse conditions where they are.
That's why they come to NZ.
But when they arrive - where do they choose to live?
In a small town or the largest city in NZ?
That's right, the largest city they can find.
They want to take advantage of the opportunities that a large population gives.
They're not stupid.

[McDuck]

Restricting the number of immigrants has been mentioned a lot lately.
The most common view expressed has been to stop all immigrants coming to NZ.
This leads me to the question about population growth.
Is it better to have an increasing population or a decreasing population?
Or better to have a static population?
I'm currently thinking in favour of an increasing population.
I think a country improves in many ways with population growth.
Of course, that country would have to have a wise government to handle the growth in a positive way.

Hi Bob.
I've spent quite a lot of time considering that question.
I'll probably spend even more time looking for more examples to consolidate my ideas.

I think growth is neither good or bad.
Immigration is not growth.
It's just moving people.
Like moving all things, it can be good and bad.
If you put the right amount of the right stuff in the right place, then it will ne a benefit.
If you get it wrong, then it will be a hazard.

Sometimes moving stuff will benefit someone at the cost of someone else.

Depending who you ask, the movement of stuff may be good and bad simultaneously.

My general impression at the moment is that there is a short term benefit, and very dramatic longer term loss.
and that people are generally either stupid or self delusional.
probably both.
I include myself in that.
ha.

[Bob Kane]

Immigration is not growth.
It's just moving people.

People moving within a country may not be growth.
But people moving between countries is.
"Did the country's population change?"