Numbers need perspective

The Government is constantly reviewing immigration settings to ensure they are working as intended and that approach will continue. There’s no doubt that net migration has remained higher for longer than most forecasters expected.

That’s happened for a number of reasons – fewer New Zealanders are leaving to live and work overseas, more are returning home and the growing economy has increased demand for skilled workers.

Under current legislation New Zealanders are always given first priority for jobs. The Government’s bottom line is that anyone looking to employ a temporary migrant worker for a role that’s not on the skills shortage lists needs to show there are no Kiwis available to do the job.

But in Southland there are some areas where employers need migrants to fill job and skill shortages like in farming or tourism. So, it’s important to put some perspective around immigration numbers.

Net long-term migration (the difference between people arriving and leaving New Zealand for more than a year) was 69,000 in the last year. This is a consequence of success – a strong, growing economy with better public services means New Zealand is an attractive place to live and opportunities are abundant. More Kiwis are staying at home. Almost 30,000 fewer Kiwis left New Zealand in the last year than when National came into office.

While 210,000 temporary work visas were granted in the last year, this number is misleading. 86,000 were simply rolling over existing visas. Of the 123,000 new visas: 63,000 were for the working holiday scheme, most of whom leave within a year. 12,500 were people who come in for a special event or as an entertainer and left quickly. The remainder includes partners of New Zealand citizens and residents, as well as those on work visas.

As for the labour market - Statistics New Zealand reports around 2800 extra jobs were created in Southland in the year to June.

Since I was elected, employment rates have steadily increased and currently the Southland region has the highest employment rate in the country and our unemployment rate is consistently below the New Zealand average.

Southland is not suffering from immigration. Migrants play an important part in our community, economy and add diversity to Southland; they are hard-working and contribute to the community - many are business owners that employ Kiwis. This anti-foreign attitude has to stop if we are going to continue to progress forward as a region. I would like to think that the community where I choose to bring up my children would welcome these people who have met our stringent immigration tests already, with open arms.