GFC & Australia: If we had 100 million people, would we be cruising right now?

Yes, I have. your point?

To be very serious here, following on from Megadethfan, one consideration is that your food resources would become strained to support so many. being self sufficient is not cracked up to what is meant to be. Sure, this would insulate the country from outside economic influence but it also reduce innovation dramatically, dragging the country back. However, as Australia is by no mean self sufficient, which would mean, The greater need for resources (not natural) would put greater strain on the economy. Meaning that incoming would be closer to equal of outgoings, as you could imagine this would totally change the dynamics of how a GFC would hit Australia.