Matua Kahurangi: While Kiwis wait weeks to see a doctor......

While Kiwis wait weeks to see a doctor, the Government rolls out the red carpet for migrants’ parents

Within days of opening the new Parent Boost Visa, nearly 200 applications flooded in, a canary in the coal mine. The government expects between 2,000 and 10,000 applications annually, with a working model of around 6,000. What the official spin frames as a meaningful way for families to spend extended time together is more than that. It is a gamble with our social fabric, our hospitals and the day-to-day lives of everyday Kiwis. In my opinion it is a recklessly optimistic policy that risks degrading the New Zealand many of us still want to live in.

Matua Kahurangi: New Zealand or Mumbai?

The Government’s latest plan to open the door even wider to immigration is yet another step toward transforming New Zealand into something unrecognisable, a crowded and stressed-out replica of overseas megacities. With the announcement of the so-called “Parent Boost” visa, New Zealand is no longer just importing workers. We are now importing entire families. It’s time to ask who exactly this country is being run for.