4 December 2001

Immigration Minister's ‘Talent Visa’ An Insult To NZ Workers

New Zealand First Leader and Member for Tauranga Rt Hon Winston Peters, said today, “The decision of Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel, to fast track overseas employees wishing to work here through a new system called ‘talent visa’, so long as they were to receive $45,000 per year or more, is a body blow for New Zealanders wanting the opportunity to improve their income levels or become trained to take on higher paying work”.

“I can’t begin to understand the logic behind the latest Immigration move,” Mr Peters said, “because the plain facts are New Zealanders want work, they need work, and work is available for them. Should there be a need for training to bring New Zealand workers up to a particular standard or to teach a particular skill, then lets assign our education industry the task and have them get on and ensure New Zealanders gain the training required”.

“I fail to understand why a Labour/Alliance Government would want to stand in the way of New Zealand workers from improving their earning capacity, nor do I understand the need for such a silly knee jerk response as to further open up our country to foreign nationals to take jobs which New Zealanders are qualified to hold or if required, can be trained to take on, ” he said.

“New Zealand workers should be provided every opportunity to improve themselves not be sold out by their Government. We have ample ‘talent’ amongst our own population and it is insulting to suggest that is not the case and bring in foreigners to take our jobs,” concluded Mr Peters.

ENDS

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