{
  "id": 15525187,
  "title": "Why has Ross Gittins sold-out to the immigration lobby?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/why-has-ross-gittins-sold-out-to-the-immigration-lobby",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-19T00:00:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MacroBusiness",
    "slug": "macrobusiness",
    "url": "https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2026/10/why-has-ross-gittins-sold-out-to-the-immigration-lobby/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ross Gittins, once a staunch critic of immigration, has recently shifted his stance. His latest arguments directly contradict his previous positions, which argued that immigration was the \"cheap and nasty way to pursue economic growth.\" Gittins now claims that voters are unhappy about falling real wages, but that immigration is not to blame. He argues that the source of the problem is lower wages to pay for goods, not high immigration. This shift in viewpoint is puzzling, as it contradicts his earlier stance that immigration was detrimental to productivity and living standards. Gittins also suggests that cutting immigration would lower economic growth and an aging population would put a strain on the working population. However, these claims are at odds with his earlier arguments that immigration is necessary to maintain a growing population and prevent economic contraction.",
  "summary": "Ross Gittins was one of the few mainstream media commentators who took a principled stand on immigration. If you search for “immigration” on Ross Gittins’ website, you’ll find a slew of articles arguing against a “Big Australia” for economic, environmental, and liveability reasons (see sample below). Gittins sensibly argued that immigration was the “cheap and The post Why has Ross Gittins…",
  "key_points": [
    "Ross Gittins previously criticized immigration as cheap and nasty for economic growth.",
    "Now, Gittins argues immigration is not responsible for falling real wages.",
    "Gittins claims cutting immigration would hinder economic growth and strain the working population."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}