Population policy must be about quality-of-life not economic productivity, says Sustainable Population Minister Tony Burke.

As the population issue dominated the first day of the 2010 election campaign, Mr Burke said Labor would consider policies to encourage new immigrants into regional areas and away from the big capitals where pressure on infrastructure is at its most acute.

But he would not nominate an appropriate annual immigration intake in the wake of Julia Gillard's recent rejection of Kevin Rudd's "Big Australia".

http://www.theaustralian.com.a...59niix-1225893663475