Marie Hasler National Immigration Spokesperson

4 April 2001

Australia wants our skills not our bills

The latest report from Australia's Monash University is just another reinforcement that the New Zealand-Australia social security agreement was a 'win-win' for Australia and a 'lose-lose' for New Zealand, National's Immigration and Population spokesperson Marie Hasler said today. "National warned this was the case when the deal was so warmly welcomed by the Prime Minister Helen Clark in February.

"Australia wants our skills but not our bills. It is quite prepared to take considerable amounts of taxes from our workers but is denying us any reciprocal privileges. "That means a 'win-win' situation for Australia and a 'lose-lose' for us - a situation this Government should never have agreed to.

"The argument that New Zealand will save huge amounts on New Zealanders' dole in Australia, but still pay it back home to those same people who stay in New Zealand instead.

"As one of the authors of the study has noted the agreement means New Zealand loses its skilled workers to Australia. National has been predicting this but the Government has ignored our concerns," Ms Hasler said.

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