Dr Hon. Lockwood Smith MP
National Party Immigration Spokesman

20 November 2007

Exodus from NZ highest for a decade

The latest migration stats show the exodus from New Zealand for the year ended October 2007 has been the highest for a decade, says National Party Immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith.

“While there were 500 more permanent, long-term arrivals in New Zealand in the past 12 months, there were 6,700, or 10%, more departures than in the previous year. What’s more, 900 fewer New Zealand citizens returned than in the previous year.”

Dr Smith says the worrying trend of more and more New Zealand citizens departing our country was reinforced with a 31% increase in the last year alone.

“The only consistent feature is that 87% of New Zealand citizens leaving continue to go to Australia.

“Clearly, more and more New Zealanders are voting with their feet as they find Labour’s high tax, ‘Government knows best’ policies are leaving less opportunity for the future than they see in Australia,” says Dr Smith.

ENDS

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