Helensville hopefuls talk immigration
While some candidates standing for Helensville believe immigration benefits the electorate, others say the country needs to take a breather.
ACT Party candidate Alex Evans said Helensville reaped ‘‘amazing benefits’’ from immigration.
‘‘As the ‘salad bowl’ of Auckland, we have a regular need for seasonal workers in employment,’’ he said.
Evans said immigration made Helensville a vibrant and interesting region with a wealth of different cultures.
‘‘ACT would remove the current work visa point system, replacing it with a requirement to be earning above the average wage for the field,’’ he said.
Labour Party candidate Kurt Taogaga said it was important to separate the process of immigration from immigrants.
‘‘Immigrants have had a broadly positive effect on Helensville electorate, no matter what jobs they fall into when they get here,’’ he said.
But in relation to immigration, Taogaga said this was a part of the Government’s policy framework that needed to be looked at in detail.
‘‘Going hand-in-hand with an infrastructure deficit, I think that the time has come to have a breather on the amount of people we bring in until we have a city and a country that is fit to welcome them.’’
NZ First candidate Helen Peterson said immigration had a huge effect on Helensville.
She said the electorate was experiencing extensive housing development, which was putting enormous pressure on infrastructure and services.
She said changes needed to be made including the ‘‘immediate reduction in immigration numbers’’.
Conservative Party candidate Brendan Whyte said immigration had less of a direct impact on Helensville in relation to other Auckland electorates, but it was making house prices skyrocket.
‘‘Overheated house prices demonstrate that current immigration levels are higher than New Zealand can readily absorb. A moratorium on immigration, until housing supply catches up with demand, will help reduce the house price crisis and turn more Kiwis from renters into owners.’’
Green Party’s Hayley Holt and National Party’s Chris Penk did not respond in time for this article.