New Zealand First has invoked the 'agree to disagree' clause in relation to the government's announcement that will change current migrant work visa holders to automatically become new residents.
We are concerned that those who gain residency will become citizens, then using their New Zealand passports leave for fast-tracked visas in Australia. Almost half of our citizens already applying for Australian citizenship last year were not born here.
New Zealand is being used as a stepping stone into Australia. We take them in, train them, up-skill them, look after their families, and then they emigrate. How is this an effective immigration policy?
We need a system that consistently provides young Kiwis with the skills we need domestically, working alongside the education system which fills the skills we need in our industries.
This is not a new issue - while we recognise the importance of retaining some critical workers, we have serious concerns about this unfocussed immigration proposal.
That is why we would support extending existing work visas for those workers already here for another three years to address the short-term demand - not making them residents.
We cannot maintain this decades-old papering over the cracks for short term needs.
In the long term, we need a smart immigration system that focuses on the needs of employers in New Zealand, industry, and kiwi workers - not policies that will lead to more immigration with no plan for our next generation.
