Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Bill’s Diaspora Data Disaster
David
Parker
Spokesperson for Finance
2 August 2012 Media Statement
Bill’s Diaspora Data Disaster
Bill English’s ignorance of heartland Kiwis heading to Australia shows National are neglecting the regions, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker.
“Bill English is so out of touch with the regions he doesn’t know that the heartland is heading to Australia. I’ve pushed him on the numbers of Kiwis leaving the regions but yesterday he claimed those statistics don’t exist.
“Kiwi towns and regions are losing thousands of people a year to Australia. It’s a big issue and it should be at the top of Bill English’s concerns but he doesn’t know it’s happening.
“National think they’ve tied up the farmers’ vote so they’re taking the regions for granted. Labour believes that strong regions will be key to a growing modern economy.
“It’s time Bill English and the National government woke up to the record numbers of New Zealanders leaving for Australia.”
Hansard
Excerpt
Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) to the
Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement
regarding migration to Australia “What’s the point of
standing in the airport crying about it?”; if so, are the
numbers of people leaving New Zealand from the regions being
replaced by people moving into the regions from elsewhere in
New Zealand or overseas?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of
Finance) : Yes. I stand by my full statement, which went on
to say “We’ve just got to compete.”, because I believe
that that is the case. We need to compete for our young
people by doing everything we can to provide more affordable
housing and higher-paying jobs. As to the second part of the
question, as I understand it, there are no regional
statistics that specifically isolate the number of people
leaving any particular region to move overseas. The
statistics that do exist for population in the regions show
that almost all the regions are increasing in their
population. The one significant negative is in the
Canterbury region, and that is for understandable
reasons.
ENDS
Gordon Campbell: On unemployment, Winston Peters’ low boiling point and music criticism
Labour Party: National Gaslights Women Fighting For Equal Pay
The Treasury: New Treasury Paper On The Productivity Slowdown
NZ Government: Government Recommits To Equal Pay
Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter: Deputy Mayor ‘disgusted’ By Response To Georgina Beyer Sculpture
Te Pāti Māori: Māori Unemployment Rate Increases By More Than Four-Times National Rates
Government: Streamlining Building Consent Changes
