Kevin Rudd has been slammed for suggesting Australia should significantly increase its population to defend ourselves against China.

The former prime minister says Australia needs to double its population by increasing immigration as Chinese influence continues to rise.

But Dick Smith, who has long campaigned to reduce population growth, tells Ben Fordham the idea is “utterly ridiculous”.

“50 million is still only one-twentieth the number of people in China.

“We’re never going to compete with China with numbers, we just have to be smarter.”

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Image: Getty/Tracey Nearmy