There’s a few things to be said around Shane Jones’ recent skirmishing with part of the Indian community over immigration changes.
I mean, it should almost go without saying at this point, but the idea that if somebody dislikes a government policy – that instead of being able to engage with their allegedly democratically empowered representatives to get some movement on it, they should instead either shut up … or, in the words of Jones “catch the next flight home”, is downright pernicious.
Not least because for many Indians, and in particular those born here – they’re *already* home.
But Jones himself has long seemingly had the Indian community in his rhetorical sights. You may recall his previous rather pointed remarks about another area of NZ immigration policy being “synonymous with butter chicken – rancid“, for example.
My personal theory as to why is due to a combination of his wanting to carve out a “similar but different” reputation to Winston’s and therefore finding a different target to Chinese migration, and Jones’ own cosier relationship with Chinese interests.
And it’s those ‘cosier relationships’ which really make a mockery out of the Minister’s “if you don’t like it, […] catch the next flight home” rhetoric.
Because when Jones, serving then as Associate Immigration Minister under the previous Labour-led government, heard about a chap by the name of Bill Liu who disagreed with Immigration New Zealand’s decisions and policy … Jones didn’t tell Liu to get on a plane an leave – rather, he took up the guy’s case, against reams of official advice and an Interpol alert, and overturned all of the above precisely to let Liu remain here.
It is now a matter of public record some of the ‘inducements’ which Liu may have made to men both Red and Blue in order to secure his chosen outcome. Which was precisely to *avoid* having to “catch the next flight home”.
Or, in other words, it is difficult to take Jones seriously upon this matter given his own record in this area. Not just when it comes to the ‘never mind democracy – disagreement means auto-deportation’ line of spurious reasoning. But also, his demands in response to the alleged “levels of verbiage that the Indian communal leadership have thrown at the party” that Indian New Zealanders speaking up against his comments “tame down your rhetoric”.
He should, perhaps, stick to shooting things other than his mouth off, in Thailand.
Politicians seem too scared (or paid off) to voice any disapproval of the Chinese community and feel more comfortable targeting easier migrant targets such as the Indian or British migrants.
Politicians should not be cherry picking out migrants to target, the entire immigration system is broken in NZ and the COL are just making it worse with deregulating migrant labour in the provinces, increasing the temp labour by 18% per year and bringing back visas for aged migrant parents to come to NZ.
This is all after an election promise of reducing immigration levels in NZ and stopping foreign asset and land sales!
In real terms, both have gone up under the COL. Yes permanent immigration is harder, but look at who gets compassionate leave to gain permanent residency, jailed people or people who are relatives of victims of crimes!!!!
The COL are nearly as bad as the Natz on immigration and maybe the migrant and foreign business donations to media and lobby groups have created this idea that there is huge popularity for immigration amongst people here … not working out. it’s the minority of people who make a fortune out of NZ Visa that keep the fake mantra going and the gravy train for them rolling.
Many of the migrants already settled here as well as those being victims to the scams are also not happy about all the migration because they are also having their wages decrease, their commute times longer and less access to health services.
Having more educational and work and benefit and tax scams, effect everyone living in NZ, not just one or two races!
Our immigration and visa policies are seemingly based on stupidity, low priced labour, bribes, freebees and money changing hands, and funny enough, is not attracting honest, highly skilled migrants, more like repelling them as well as more brain drain here!
That’s true enough. And tinkering is not going to fix it.
Things like assuming required skills are directly proportional to income. Even more unintended consequences will result.
Things like treating people primarily as economic units to be exploited without regard for any social value they might bring. Thinking that the only desirable immigrant is one that adheres to anglo-saxon values and that the immigrant is incapable of living in ‘two worlds’ as NZ’s own first people have to.
Some efforts are made with refugees (although as many will tell you, they can feel dropped in it). Why SFA for the immigrant?
Bringing in people merely to ‘plug gaps’ where there are shortages of labour was always going to end badly – just as it did in the days of the dawn raids.
And doing so by a state-sanctioned mechanism open to exploitation (in some cases even encouraged because of lack of oversight and monitoring, or just shear muppetry), is even worse.
Ditto propping up shady tertiary education for a quick earn where the genuine get tarred with the same brush as the shysters and standards start to fall through the floor. In many cases we’ve been trying to teach overseas students how to suck eggs for a handsome fee whilst allowing others to become part of the problem.
Jones knows he needs to get back onside with the rednecks that have drifted from the party fold o he takes a dig at migrants.
NZF has from the outset been a party opposed to migrants dispite the need for them to do all the jobs lazy NZ will not do
Labour & National are both pandering to the Asian Voting Block, we need to look after our own people first. We are being driven into the dirt with these ridiculous Immigration Policies IMHO ?
Tautoko Ngungukai. It’s not just your IMHO – we have been driven into the dirt for the past 200 years by ridiculous immigration policies. Successive governments don’t care where new migrants come from as long as immigration acts to keep us demographically marginalised they keep us under their thumb. Engari, Kia tu! Ko tatou te tangata whenua 🙂
A few years ago my job required me using a lot of taxis to get to and from the airport. Inevitably the majority of the drivers were from the Indian subcontinent. I would make a point of chatting with them to hear their personal stories. Many came here with little more than the clothes they stood up in, but have buckled down to earn a living. They are disciplined and family orientated. In most cases they had kids studying to be doctors, scientists, engineers etc: They will do the hard yards to ensure their children go into the professions.
It was no surprise then that when I went into hospital for emergency surgery shortly after that, when I looked up from the gurney at the team who were going to work on me – they appeared to be the children of the taxi drivers I had met! I am alive and well today, thanks to them.
White (and brown) New Zealanders take note: If your family has been here in this land of opportunity for several generations yet you’re still in a low paid job or on welfare, then I suggest you take a hard look at yourselves. Your new boss will be one of my taxi drivers children.
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