'They'll become terrorists': Millionaire entrepreneur Dick Smith says high immigration will create an angry underclass of unemployed - and likens population growth to cancer

  • Dick Smith says high immigration rate of 200,000 a year will cause terrorism
  • He predicts that 40 per cent of Australia would become 'really poor people' 
  • Entrepreneur told Mark Latham 'the pitchforks come out' as poverty worsens

By Stephen Johnson For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Millionaire entrepreneur Dick Smith predicts Australia will suffer from a spate of terrorist attacks if it continues taking in 200,000 migrants a year. 

The 73-year-old businessman and philanthropist told media commentator Mark Latham that high population growth and robots taking jobs could see 40 per cent of the nation living in poverty in coming decades.

'Those really poor people, especially the ones who can't get jobs, they'll be the ones that become terrorists because you have two or three generations without any satisfying work to do and you get angry,' he told the Mark Latham's Outsiders program.

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Dick Smith told Mark Latham Australia's high immigration would lead to terrorist attacks

Dick Smith told Mark Latham Australia's high immigration would lead to terrorist attacks

Mark Latham was Labor leader when John Howard as prime minister increased immigration

Mark Latham was Labor leader when John Howard as prime minister increased immigration

Mr Smith, the businessman behind Dick Smith Foods and OzEmite, said Australia's population would quadruple from 24 million now to 100 million people by 2100 at the current annual population growth pace of 1.7 per cent.

This would see 40 million 'really poor people' who could potentially resort to violence. 

'When you get such incredible difference between the rich and the poor, the pitchforks come out. We'll end up with people being killed,' he said. 

In a separate interview with Daily Mail Australia, Mr Smith likened Australia's high annual net immigration rate to cancer which could upend democracy.

The businessman behind OzEmite likened high population growth to cancer killing its host

The businessman behind OzEmite likened high population growth to cancer killing its host

'Only cancer cells grow forever and they mostly end up killing their host,' he said.

'We will destroy Australia as we know it today.'

He accused the Liberal Party of being in the pocket of big business and Labor of bowing to the ethnic lobby groups.

Australia's annual net immigration rate stood at 82,500 in 1996 but crept above 100,000 a year in 2003 when John Howard was prime minister.

It reached 190,000 a year in 2013 when Julia Gillard was national leader.  

Mr Smith called for the major parties in government to return to Australia's annual net migration rate to 70,000, the average level of the 20th century.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is calling for a much more drastic zero annual net immigration pace for Australia. 

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is calling for a zero net annual immigration pace

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is calling for a zero net annual immigration pace

Australia's annual net immigration rate has more than doubled during the past two decades

Australia's annual net immigration rate has more than doubled during the past two decades

Migrant Crisis

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