Emigration myths & vitriol
Filed under: Getting to New Zealand, Hubby's Views, Jobs & Work, Life in New Zealand, NZIS & Immigration issues
I have to admit that I once voted for Winston Peters. Party vote only, during the 2005 election. I thought he was a good chap to keep in Parliament, in opposition to keep biting at the Govt. and being a bit of a useful trouble maker. In what can only be described as an outstanding political move, Helen Clark made him foreign minister, and silenced him completely. Kudos to Ms Clark. That’s old news though.
Only how he’s out of a job, and trying to get back in. Making ridiculous claims about emmigration that would have anyone purporting to give immigration advice heading to prison for seven years. And since he’s not an MP, he isn’t exempt anymore. Hmm, I wonder if the IAA are listening? Perhaps there’s a cell spare next to Phillip Field?
Kiwiblog has a lot of interesting comments on this. Although since I don’t really do short, I thought I’d be better writing my thoughts up here.
So to be fair, did Winston Peters say anything I could agree with? Well yes;
“We know that the Immigration Service is possibly the most incompetent and dysfunctional government agency of all“
That’s it though.
So what’s he said that’s got me so irrked?
‘When it comes to immigration NZ is being taken for a sucker. People are coming to NZ as migrants – but many use us as a transit camp. These people stay just long enough to get permanent residency so they can bring their families over – often elderly parents – and then they move on to Aussie. We are being left with the care of elderly parents – while Aussie gets the workers. This sort of scam –and others like it – must end.”
Err – nope. While there are indeed many refugee’s who stay in transit camps for five years while fleeing war in their own countries. I wouldn’t classify five years as a ‘stay just long enough’ approach. You have to be an NZ citizen to move to Australia exercising your right as a Kiwi. So people are only doing what every other commited Kiwi is doing.
There are many migrants who have been in NZ for 5, 10 or 15 years, and have not for whatever reason, decided to apply for NZ Citizenship. I don’t see any less commitment from them than from those of us who apply for NZ Citizenship.
As to bringing elderly parents over, well that takes being here for three years as a permanent resident before you can sponsor parents. That process takes two or more years at the moment. Again, a five year commitment to NZ before family are reunited in the same country again.
So are we bringing over our parents to sponge off the NZ taxpayer (of which we are one)? Well, to qualify for an NZ state pension, you have to have been a resident for 10 years, five of those after the age of 50. So in total if you want to sponge off of the NZ taxpayer, you need to have a 15 year plan. Again, doesn’t sound like a sure fire high paying quick win scam to me.
Now there’s probably a presumption of being a taxpayer in that time, however it doesn’t stipulate you have to have been working. Just resident. But if you’re living here, then just like everyone else every $ you spend has GST attached to it.
“Every person we allow into NZ as a permanent resident will sooner or later be a claim on the state pension system. And often they are claiming on our social welfare and health system within a very short time of arrival. “
Sooner or later? Well the oldest age at which you can emigrate as a skilled migrant is 55. Wait ten years, and then you qualify for a pension. Not exactly soon in my mind. As to the later, well heck, contributing to the tax base for 10 years and paying the pensions of existing pensioners doesn’t qualify me somehow?? WTF!
As to claiming on social welfare & health systems in a very short time of arrival. Again, lets just accept tax payers can do that, and think about those elderly parents just champing at the bit to bleed NZ dry in ten years time of $310 a week (or it’s equivalent at the time.)
You get the picture.
If I had $600k+ NZD sitting in a savings account at the moment it would pay me just ~$350 per week interest (which I get to pay tax on of course). A 3% return for a ten year investment? Well, I doubt I’ll be able to retire happily on that.
As to the health system, well again once you’ve waited three years to sponsor parents & two years during the application processing, part of sponsoring your sponging elderly parents is a commitment to ‘reimburse’ the NZ Health system for any costs the Govt. feels like claiming off of you for the first two years while they are here. And they don’t qualify for WINZ in that time either.
Yep – that sounds like a sure fire strategy to ensure someone else pays the cost of care for ‘growing old’ in a very short time.
“These people are feasting on your pension pie. And they will be feasting on it for 10 – 20 or possibly 30 years. The pension pie you and other Kiwis paid for”
It’s at this point that I stop getting all uppity with such inflammatory codswallop and start laughing.
Bake a bigger pie. It’s a principle I picked up from a book I was reading a while ago.(The Power of Nice by Linda Kaplan & Robin Koval, which is happily available via Google books for free!) NZIS are indeed baking a bigger pie, I should be fair and give them credit. Current pensioners are not living off of the contributions they have made through their working lives – that paid for the pensioners at the time. No, it’s those contributing taxes now who are paying for the current set of pensioners to eat their pie. The more taxpayers there are, the bigger the pie. So, if anything Grey Power should be demanding NZIS increase the number of emigrants allowed into the country. Since those are the people who are paying for them to have pie.
Perhaps I’d better go on to plan B – and apply for a job as an MP. Sponging off the NZ taxpayer for 3+ years, with cut price travel, all expenses for living in Wellington taken care of, allowances for this that and the other. I get to vote on my own pay rise, and enshrine in law my future benefits in various forms including a final salary pension not measured against average income.
So I’ve found something else I can agree with Winston on;
“This sort of scam –and others like it – must end.”
Related posts:
- The UK State Pension – what happens to it when you emigrate.
- Well I never: An interesting Immigration report
- How many permanent migrants came to NZ since 1957? Go on, guess!
Comments
2 Comments on Emigration myths & vitriol
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stu on
Sat, 10th Oct 2009 2:28 pm
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Avalon on
Sat, 10th Oct 2009 6:33 pm
What you are neglecting to point out is that you’re only so keen to get your parents over here because you’ve already got them to buy the lions share of the property you now inhabit. Not much in it for them so far. unlr=ess you make good on the new life for them.
You’ve left the lake district for Kapiti (why? what’s the difference?), in order to get your IT job (why? the pay cut if you had a decent job would have been horiffic). That doesn’t figure. Your wife works as a pharmacist, hardly a skill shortage job in NZ, so it’s not hard to wonder why people are suss about people like your’s motives.
You admit your father in law, who paid for your house, has diabeties, and yet complain when immigration rightly spot that he will be an ongoing problem for the public health system. You haven’t a track record of paying so no ones counting on you.
You have a go at Winston for pointing out some of the disadvantages of immigration, yet your wife makes much of how you guys, who brought little of your own money here, have used the tax system to minimise your contribution to the state, whilst attempting to maximise your entitlements and build a property portfolio that prices kiwis out of the market.
You have done nothing yet to truely benefit NZ, yet you run a hate campaign against the very department that let you in the country, and the government that allowed you citizenship after 3 years. You complaign about not being allowed to give immigration advice, yet your true complaint is that you haven’t been able to subvert the checks in place whereby a very small country attempts to avoid being taken advantage of.
Possibly Aussie would be best for you.
I think you may have missed out a personal attack on us somewhere in that rant dear 
What you are neglecting to point out is that you’re only so keen to get your parents over here because you’ve already got them to buy the lions share of the property you now inhabit. Not much in it for them so far. unless you make good on the new life for them.
Bollocks! How dare you speak for my parents you bloody lowlife scumbag! I am not going to tell you why you are wrong, because the reason my parents have for owning part of this house have nothing to do with you.
You’ve left the lake district for Kapiti (why? what’s the difference?),
I left Herefordshire you idiot. And none of us ever lived in the Lake District. And I live in the Wairarapa you nonce! And there isn’t much difference between Hereford and the Wairarapa, except there lots less people here, more space, and we have the climate for a swimming pool. That’s no big secret and stuff I’ve talked about plenty of times before.
in order to get your IT job (why? the pay cut if you had a decent job would have been horiffic).
No it wasn’t – if you bothered to look. Hubby didn’t have to take the expected pay cut, and is now on a very high salary here. Sheesh – are you blind or just stupid???
Your wife works as a pharmacist,
No I don’t – where the hell are you getting this from??? I haven’t worked as a pharmacist for 5 years!
hardly a skill shortage job in NZ,
Yes it is! Do you know anything, or you just like being vitriolic for fun???
You admit your father in law, who paid for your house,
Wrong – my mum and dad OWN a 1/3 share of our house (not the lions share)– its their house too you Muppet.
…has diabetes, and yet complain when immigration rightly spot that he will be an ongoing problem for the public health system.
And you have the faintest idea of what is in my Dad’s medical records to make this medical prognosis??? You are wrong – INZ were wrong, and we have stacks of medical prove to say so. You patently equate diabetes with medical costs, and that’s just your ignorance talking.
You haven’t a track record of paying so no ones counting on you.
Paying for what? – we pay for bloody everything mate!
You have a go at Winston for pointing out some of the disadvantages of immigration, yet your wife makes much of how you guys, who brought little of your own money here,
We have brought about $250,000 into New Zealand you pillock. If you don’t think that’s a lot of money – id like to see your bank balance. There’s obviously more in there than in your brain.
have used the tax system to minimise your contribution to the state, whilst attempting to maximise your entitlements and build a property portfolio that prices kiwis out of the market.
Yep, and my tenants pay $235 a week in rent instead of $535 a week in rent, which is what they would have to pay without the LAQC system. If they could get a rental at all to live in. I’d explain how that works, but I don’t think you would care, and I’m not sure you are intelligent enough to understand the effects of the NZ tax system on rents and property prices.
You have done nothing yet to truly benefit NZ,
Gee thanks – so glad the last 5 years of life have been such a waste. Thankfully – its not up to plonkers like you to make that call. I think we wont put too much stock in your opinion – people are paying a lot of money to my hubby to be here, so Ill take that as a good sign that we have something to contribute. And thats without the hundreds of people I’ve helped with their immigration and budgeting plans.
yet you run a hate campaign against the very department that let you in the country, and the government that allowed you citizenship after 3 years.
Good grief – you really are dense aren’t you.
My “hate campaign” is about Immigration New Zealand. They have nowt to do with Citizenship. That’s the Department of Internal Affairs, whom I have only ever had praise for.
You complain about not being allowed to give immigration advice, yet your true complaint is that you haven’t been able to subvert the checks in place whereby a very small country attempts to avoid being taken advantage of.
You are welcome to think that – and im equally welcome to think you are a blithering idiot who for some strange reason just decided to go off on one on here. There are in fact really big holes in the “checks” which are letting people through that shouldn’t get in – scream about that if you want to. And New Zealand does its own fair share of “taking advantage” of skilled Migrants – make a fuss about that if you need something to do with your time.
Otherwise – bugger off and find someone else to abuse. While this was fun, you do not have the right to come on here and abuse me and my family, especially as you seem to be a bit short on the facts and intellegence.
BTW, Stu seems to be a migrant himself, working in Wellington as a financial advisor. Funnily enough – there isnt one single instance of a job in Finance on the skills shortage lists – long or short term.
I do dislike hypocrits 
And people who think that only THEY should be allowed to live in New Zealand
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