Goff Targets Migrants To Solve Housing Crisis

Phil Goff’s targeting of migrants to deal with the Auckland housing crisis unfairly goes after people who aren’t to blame, says Auckland mayoral candidate Mark Thomas.

In an interview with a Warkworth newspaper (http://www.localmatters.co.nz/News/Mahurangi+News/July+2016/Mayoral+candidates+lay+out+Auckland+vision+in+Mahurangi.html), the Labour MP said if he were mayor he would lobbying the government to reduce immigration to deal to the housing crisis.

“But the just released Statistics New Zealand analysis (the Kiwi factor in record migration) says returning kiwis are one of the biggest drivers of New Zealand’s current migration level.”

“We have just hit a twenty-five year high in terms of returning versus leaving kiwis. Even the Reserve Bank commented that any adjustments to migration policy would operate “only at the margin”.

“Goff’s focus on non-New Zealand citizen migrants is misplaced and risks damaging needed offshore investment and skills.”

“More than 520,000 or 40% of Aucklanders were not born in New Zealand, and they form a rich part of Auckland’s culture.”

“Goff appears to be falling into the same trap as his leader who inadvertently targeted Indian and Chinese chefs in March.”

“The key Auckland housing issues the next mayor needs to focus on are funding infrastructure and getting quicker council consent processing.”

“Goff has no official housing policy. He should be concentrating on housing solutions the Mayor of Auckland controls, and immigration isn’t one of them.”

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