Marie Hasler Opposition Immigration Spokesperson

23 June 2000

Brain Drain bucks economic trends

"New Zealanders are failing to heed Mr. Anderton's clarion call to come home," National's Immigration spokeswoman Marie Hasler said today.

Normally there is a close relationship between net migration flows and the economic cycle. The worse the economy is doing the more people leave a country.

But now, at the peak of the economic cycle, the net long-term migration has stalled at a net outflow of more than 9,000 people a year.

"That's a lot of people upping sticks and taking their talents elsewhere. These people are some of our best and brightest who are being scared off by higher taxes and concerns over New Zealand's long term economic prospects.

"That outflow of skills is a massive drain on our ability to achieve higher rates of sustainable economic growth.

"Before the election Jim Anderton claimed to be able to lure ex-pat kiwis home, like some sort of Pied Piper.

"Instead Mr Anderton and his colleagues are driving people away," Marie Hasler said.

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