Hon Tuariki Delamere
Minister of Immigration

Media statement
For immediate release
Wednesday, 16 June 1999

Delamere: Labour-Alliance immigration plans 'daft'

Immigration Minister, Hon Tuariki Delamere, says he's astonished at the open slather immigration policies the Labour-Alliance bloc intends following, should they become the Government.

"It became very plain during last night's Parliamentary debate on the Immigration Amendment Bill (No. 2) that Labour and the Alliance will simply open the borders to anyone at all, regardless of their skills, assets or ability to contribute to New Zealand," said Mr Delamere.

"This is just plain daft. The security of our borders is paramount and as long as I am Minister of Immigration, the integrity of New Zealand's borders will be upheld.

"Under the Labour-Alliance plans, New Zealand would be rapidly swamped with hundreds of thousands of economic refugees.

"The public should be very wary of voting for politicians who are promoting these crazy policies," concluded the Minister.

(The Immigration Amendment Bill (No. 2), which will make it easier to deal with mass arrivals of illegal migrants, is expected to be passed by Parliament later today.)

Ends

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