On immigration policies

"You suggested that anti-migrant mood can be lowered by admitting potential newcomers on a merit, point-based system (Leaders/Immigration Policy, Nov 16th), but failed to notice that anti-immigrant feelings, especially toward non-whites, are still quite prevalent in Australia . You proposed to have visas auctioned to the well-heeled, and to impose surtaxes on immigrants, ignoring or easily dismissing the refugees who are poor and flee their homelands to protect themselves and their families from war and violence. It seems to me that you are treating human lives as purely economic commodities, to be acquired or dumped in a "market-based system", and in doing so, you chose to say nothing about what made us humans: compassion."

(Letter to the Economist magazine, November 18, 2019)