KiwiBuild. A name once loaded with hype and promise - that became a synonym for failure and derision.
I believed that the failure of this policy was the biggest failure in New Zealand’s history of a ‘signature’ government policy. Light rail pushed it, but wasn’t for me in the same league.
But, ultimately I think the recently demised Labour Government should be remembered for the migration timebomb they set ticking (ticking very quickly and loudly) and which may be about to blow up in the new Government’s face.
Do you know what is so bad about what that Labour Government did?
It is the very fact that they told us as a country we SHOULD NOT do what they were about to do again.
I’ve mentioned it before, but it is worth mentioning ad nauseum that in May 2021 in a speech on behalf of the then Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi delivered by the then Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash, Labour outlined a reset of this country’s immigration policies.
Nash said:
“When our borders fully open again, we can’t afford to simply turn on the tap to the previous immigration settings. That path is a continuation of pressures on our infrastructure, like transport, accommodation, and downward pressure on wages."
It was all sensible, rational stuff.
And Labour ended up doing exactly the opposite of what it said.
Worse than KiwiBuild. Words I never thought I would say.
New Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is spot on with his description of the situation his administration has been bequeathed as a “complete hash”.
He is, though obviously more polite than I am, because I can think of some good old Anglo Saxon descriptions as well.
But Luxon and his coalition administration have got a real poser here.
And I'll explain why.
First, a question:
Who said this, earlier this year?
“Since New Zealand re-opened its borders, our immigration settings have failed to quickly bring in enough of the skilled workers we need, meaning we are not equipped for the task ahead. Currently, it takes an employer the better part of half a year to get through the red tape just to hire a migrant.
“The Government has been too slow in responding to crippling workforce shortages, and we cannot afford to wait months before desperately needed changes are made – we need urgent action now.”
Yes, that’s right that was the now Immigration Minister Erica Stanford. And, yes, she did use the word “skilled” there and I note that Luxon used that a lot as well - but there is a clear problem here.
The previous National-led Government happily allowed our GDP figures (but not our GDP per capita figures, they lagged) to be pumped by an influx of overseas workers.
What is the new administration to do now that Labour has pre-flooded the country prior to said new Government even getting its feet under the table?
It would be incredibly ‘un-National’ to look to start seriously cracking down on immigration now. And that’s before we’ve even thought about coalition partner ACT.
What do we do? Carry on and ‘hope it will stop’?
Look it doesn’t. Since I first started getting involved with migration figures for interest.co.nz more than 10 years ago, always the talk was, oh, yes the figures are high now but they will come down.
They don’t. And they won’t.
Even if we don’t think things are going too well in our country at times regarding the economy, etc, this is a place that’s always going to look damn fine to the populations of other countries - and that's without embarrassing any countries by mentioning them by name. We’ve got clean air and (for now) open countryside and a whole range of good things that we take for granted.
Of course people will keep coming. If there’s an open door people will go through it. And I don’t blame them at all. Good on them.
But if we are not preparing ourselves for the influx, it will not go well. It's not going to go well already with the number that have already arrived.
So where’s the control?
We don’t seem to know how many people are coming until they’ve already arrived.
And yet, it seems like such a staggeringly easy thing to control. Indeed when we closed the borders we did show that.
Regardless of what happens from here, the numbers of people that have arrived in the past year will give us serious indigestion.
This won’t just ‘stop’. The Government needs to get a grip on the situation.
Personally, I would go the drastic route and order a temporary block on all visa applications, just to give the Government a chance to take stock and prepare a proper response. Close the doors temporarily, if you will.
But, I’m not holding my breath for that one, because it would just be, well, so, ‘un-National’.
I’m no believer in conspiracy theories. Given the option between judging something to be a ‘cock-up’ or a conspiracy, I always reckon the first option is the correct one.
But you have to say, if the outgoing Labour Government had wanted to do something to trip up the incoming Government big time, then this migration debacle would have been some way to go.
Over to you, coalition, you’ve got a bit of management to do here.
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