Dick Smith launches million-dollar ad campaign to slash immigration numbers
Controversial businessman Dick Smith is launching a million dollar television campaign, urging politicians to slash immigration numbers.
The Daily Telegraph says the advertisment, being launched on Tuesday, warns of violence on the streets if population growth continues to go unchecked.
The philanthropist wants politicians to develop an immigration plan that more than halves the number of people arriving in Australia every year.
His Fair Go Campaign is also calling for a greater tax on the super rich.
Mr Smith will spend $1 million on the new Grim Reaper TV advertisment and has hired actor John Stanton from the 1980s Grim Reaper AIDS campaign to voice the disturbing ad.
“Endless growth will destroy Australia as we know it today,” Mr Smith said.
“Aussie families can have up to 20 kids during their lifetime, but none do.
"They decide on a number they can give a good life to but our major political parties have no similar plan for Australia.
"It is simply endless growth and endless greed – meaning the finite wealth has to be divided between more people, and that means less for most.”
Mr Smith said come the next election, he will put $2 million into marginal seats supporting the party that has a population plan.
Smith's immigration plan sparks Sunrise debate
One Nation Co-Founder David Oldfield told Sunrise Mr Smith is "absolutely right".
"While some of his thoughts may not entirely be right, the notion that we have or are going to have too many people is correct," he said.
"We can only support so many people but on the other hand we do have an ageing population and so we need new young taxpayers.
"For the government the issues are when people come, where are they going to come?
"Are they going to overcrowd Sydney and Melbourne? And are they going to be those that are working, or those that we'll have to support further?
Mr Smith's campaign is also calling for a greater tax on the super rich.
“Australia’s wealthiest one per cent own more than the bottom 70 per cent, that’s 17 million Aussies," he said.
"I am a member of that one per cent club and we can certainly afford to pay more tax.
“Eight out of 10 Australians I talk to want a proper population plan, but no major political party reflects this. They are so obsessed with pleasing the one per cent who have all the money that the greed overruns all.”
Mr Smith has launched his Dick Smith Fair Go website as a platform for his manifestos on key issues, including his solution to housing affordability.
