Hon Lockwood Smith
National Party Immigration Spokesman

11 May 2006

NZ loses to Australia in migration stats

The latest immigration statistics put up huge warning signs about our vulnerability to Australia for people with skills, says National Party Immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith.

“In the year to March we gained, on a net basis, 10,291 new permanent or long-term residents from the United Kingdom and 982 from the United States.

“We gained 1,223 from South Africa, 2,044 from India, 2,351 from Fiji, 1,737 from Japan and 1,406 from Germany, but all that was obliterated by our loss of 20,713 to Australia - a loss that’s been getting progressively worse in recent years.”

Dr Smith says apart from small net losses to Korea of 562 and the United Arab Emirates of 25, Australia was the only country to which we had a net loss of migrants.

“But that net loss is vast. Comments by the Australian Government show they have been intentionally pursuing policies, such as reducing personal tax rates, to make Australia a more attractive place for skilled migrants. The stats show it’s working.

“The failure of Michael Cullen and Helen Clark to understand that puts the New Zealand economy and the standard of living of our society at very real risk”, says Dr Smith.

ENDS

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