5. Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Does he stand by his statement that “we are trying to change the economic picture to encourage more New Zealanders to stay” in light of the total of 3300 New Zealanders who left New Zealand for Australia last month which topped the previous record of 2900 set in May 1979?
Hon SIMON POWERDoes the Prime Minister accept that the 3,300 New Zealanders who left for Australia in May topped the previous record for May of 2,900, which was set 32 years ago under his predecessor Mr Muldoon’s National-led Government?
That may be the case, but because of fluctuations it is better to take a year-by-year perspective, and that shows that net migration of New Zealanders to Australia in the year to May was lower than in the year to May 2009, the year to May 2008, and the year to May 2001.
Which factor is most behind the record surge in New Zealanders leaving for Australia: the wage gap, which has grown substantially rather than narrowed under this Government, despite National’s election promise to the contrary; the higher minimum wage in Australia, which at A$15 an hour converts to NZ$20 an hour; or the better savings and investment record that Australia is heading for, instead of the cuts to KiwiSaver here?
None of the above, because the fluctuations on a month-to-month basis are better looked at on a year-by-year basis, 3 of which did not have higher numbers to May than when that party was in Government.
Why does the Government keep blaming the earthquake in Christchurch for New Zealand’s problems, when the increase in departures from Christchurch over the previous year was 300, which is less than 10 percent of the total departures in May; and does he accept that even after the Christchurch increase is excluded, the 3,000 departures to Australia in May was still at a record level?
Over the last 3 months, for example, 1,600 people left the Canterbury region permanently for overseas. In respect of the more broad numbers that the member used—a May month indicator—I can tell the member that on average over the last 2 years about 1,900 New Zealanders left each month for Australia. Under that party’s last 2 years in Government that figure was over 2,600 a month.
Are more New Zealanders leaving for Australia despite National’s 2008 election promise “Wave goodbye to higher taxes. Not your loved ones.” because only a small proportion of New Zealanders—high-income earners—did well out of his tax cuts, while the rest are worse off and are either leaving for Australia or waving goodbye to their loved ones?
Mr SPEAKER