This is not Europe, where they're overrun with migrant boats and expensive hotel bills to house the passengers.
This is not the US, where illegal migrants poured across a porous border.
This is New Zealand, separated from the rest of the world by the Pacific Ocean and rather fussy about who comes here and why.
If you look at the numbers, they tell you we're doing a good job on migration.
- Kiwi migrants are, according to a New Zealand Initiative report:Less likely to claim a benefit
- More likely to be employed
- Their children have better education outcomes than native born New Zealanders
The idea they steal jobs from Kiwis doesn't stack up because an economy doesn't have a cap on the number of jobs available. Job growth happens when demand increases and migration = increased demand. Plus they're more likely to take intuitive and start businesses which employ people.
Migrants also tend to be younger, so contribute more to taxes than native born Kiwis. They also do jobs many think they're above doing – just look at those on the dole in the regions.
Housing and hospitals can be a problem, but that's a job that can be fixed with better planning laws, fewer regulations, and investment in health.
So back to Matua Shane and his butter chicken tsunami – actually, the India FTA, as far as we can tell, would allow just 5000 three-year visas at any one time. That's according to the Government.
That's just 6% of Accredited Employer Work Visas issued each year.
90% will come here for jobs we have shortages in: engineers, IT professionals, teachers.
This looks like a bit of a beat up from Uncle Shane. As for the "colourful" language, actually, most Kiwis don't mind a bit of butter chicken thank you very much.
Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.
2 comments:
A virtue of Indian immigarnts is that they do not identify with idle or with dictatorial maori and can match maori for multiplication.But many do seem to share a contempt for colonists. However it is absurd that we import low skills like drivers. Shane''s language is refrshingly different and he does get carried away..But at least the masses get to hear and they do understand. Incidentally is buttered chicken actually a traditional dish?
Glossing over the housing, hospitals and transport issues, saying they can be fixed is not the same as having a plan to fix them and implementing it.
Infrastructure is NZ's Achilles heel and governments are not addressing it.
Ryan, how do you know what is in the agreement if no-one has been told? What the spokespeople have said is spin. They should be transparent if they want us to trust them with this.
Shane is right to spotlight this. Maybe he has actually read the proposed agreement. We just dont know what we would get. It may be too late once we have it signed off.
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