The key to Australia's skills predicament is that dependants and family-reunion entrants dominate the permanent migration program and create a big annual net skills deficit because of the services they require. Most are not tested for the specific skills we need but still demand skills from doctors, teachers, engineers and accountants, to name a few. This fuels a vicious circle of skills shortages and inflationary pressure on wages.

Decentralisation has cost governments big dollars over the years, for slim returns. Why? There are more than enough people in our over-crowded major cities to re-populate regional communities, if only there were the jobs, the water and the infrastructure. No credible policy will stop 90 per cent of immigrants initially or eventually settling in the capital cities.

So pervasive is the assertion that we have an ‘ageing crisis’ that it seems to have entered popular belief. Having spent all of human history trying to live longer, we now hear government and big business spreading fear about a wonderful achievement. A stable population is the only way to maximise our demographic triumph and future-proof our quality of life.

Infrastructure is not just about the planning. It’s also about the paying. If infrastructure for population growth is sending you broke and necessitating the sale of your remaining assets and use of retirement funds, there won’t be much left to pay for a fleet of Joint Strike Force fighters – let alone an aged-care bed.