Australian Immigration changes wont effect NZers

Australian Immigration changes have no immediate effect on New Zealanders

Australian immigration cuts have been well signalled over recent weeks according to a former New Zealand Minister of Immigration Aussie Malcolm.

“These cuts represent a minor adjustment that is logical in terms of job contraction in Australia,” Mr Malcolm says. “They do not directly influence New Zealanders’ ability to travel to Australia in terms of the Trans Tasman Travel Agreement. In fact, as the New Zealand and Australian labour markets tend to be interrelated, the cuts could be said to be preserving New Zealanders’ access to increasingly scarce jobs in Australia.”

Mr Malcolm says he cannot predict if the New Zealand Government will also cut immigration targets.

“Our system is slightly different to Australia’s in that having an offer of employment is often a key to gaining migration approval. If the jobs are not there then the migrants are also less likely to be. It tends to be self regulating to an extent.

Mr Malcolm says the present contracting world economy highlights the extent to which New Zealand should not look on migration simply as a numbers games.

“Migrants need to be seen as individuals, not numbers. Those with skills that we need will grow our economy and assist our recovery. Those with unwanted skills will compete in a tight job market. The key is not just how many migrants we welcome, but the skill characteristics of the mix.”

Mr Malcolm says he is confident the Government is well aware of the subtleties of migration issues in the present climate and will fine tune outcomes without any panic.

ENDS

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