Migrants key to the economy?

With the election just a week away how do your Upper Harbour candidates feel about immigration?

Labour’s Jin An said immigration had been a ‘‘performanceenhancing drug’’ for the New Zealand economy.

‘‘I think we do need a breather given how many problems we have in-house,’’ she said. ‘‘But as our economy has been so heavily relying on immigration I think any reduction needs to be carried out with caution.’’

She said she would like to see more genuine growth in local market and exports.

National’s Paula Bennett said there was no magic number when it came to immigration. ‘‘Migrants make a valuable contribution to the economy and restricting the number of migrants would have a negative impact on many industries.’’

She said nearly 40 per cent of her electorate weren’t born in New Zealand but they had made a huge contribution to the community. Bennett said the Government was restricting low-skilled workers and encouraging the immigration of highly-skilled workers.

She said it was also committed to ensuring its immigration policies striked the right balance.

This ensured New Zealanders were at the forefront of the queue for jobs and allowed migrants to fill genuine labour or skill shortages, Bennett said.

ACT, NZ First and Green Party candidates did not respond in time for this article’s deadline.