One hundred and ninety five people have left New Zealand every day since the coalition government was elected, ACT leader Richard Prebble said today. The numbers migrating are accelerating – 217 New Zealanders on average left every day in April 2000.

“The latest migration figures show that the migration of New Zealanders that started when National went into coalition with NZ First is accelerating under the Labour/Alliance government – 30,140 Kiwis have left since the election on November 27,” he said.

The number of departures has outweighed the number of new arrivals every month apart from November in the year ending April 2000.

“Jim Anderton had better hurry up with his solutions to stopping the brain drain. I note his only recent contribution was to say we should relax the immigration laws,” Mr Prebble said.

“We want to get our best people back, and we want to keep the ones who are thinking of going. It’s little wonder companies and their best staff are moving to Australia, where taxes are moving in the opposite direction to the increased impost this government is forcing on those people creating wealth for New Zealand.”

Mr Prebble said the downturn in the economy was hastening the run for departure gates, and the government had no answers to the flight.

“Anderton and others have no idea. As more people, and their assets, leave New Zealand, he’s putting the knife into the Reserve Bank. The negativity of his approach does nothing to stop the equivalent of 13 rugby teams or 28 netball teams leaving New Zealand each day.” ENDS

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