My Final Word: Are Migrants Really a Threat to New Zealand?
This week, Martyn takes on one of the biggest election-year arguments: immigration and New Zealand identity.
Are migrants really an existential threat to our democracy — or does that argument fundamentally underestimate the strength of New Zealand’s values?
Martyn argues that Aotearoa is built on something far stronger than fear: the foundations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Māori, alongside centuries of democratic principles including free speech, individual rights, freedom of religion, the rule of law, separation of powers and an independent judiciary.
Those values aren’t weakened when people come to New Zealand.
They’re strong enough to be shared.
Multiculturalism can strengthen our democracy — not threaten it.
So why is immigration being framed through fear in an election year?
We are better than that version of New Zealand.
In solidarity, the revolution continues.
Ka pai, Aotearoa.
YES and NO, Yes—some of our recent arrivals have messed up views on NZ society and tend to make NZ as a whole worst off.
No—most of our recent arrivals are getting on with their lives and make NZ a better place.
…. the rule of law, separation of powers and an independent judiciary.
Are not being threatened by immighants, they are beiog threatened by this government..
Smith vs. Fonterra is a cae in point where a Supreme Court ruling was over ruled and a court proceedings already underway was stopped by the government at the bidding of a private monopoly
Mike Smith: This is corrosive to democracy
https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/mike-smith-this-is-corrosive-to-democracy/
Limiting the period in which people can register to vote is another attack on our democracy potentially disenfranchiseing tens of thousands of New Zealanders.
Immigrants are not attacking our democracy, immigrants often come here fleeing regimes where democracy does not exist or is severly constrained. Having experienced its lack, immigrants are more likely to be our allies in protecting democratic principles than this government.
Immigration in NZ is a disaster. The government has little or no control over it. Week after week we hear of court cases where migrants had to pay extortionist fees to agents to get here, selling land or their families going into debt. Arriving into situations where they become virtual slaves and in every case to people from their own country. And what we see is the tip of the iceberg.
Strangely Donald Trump admires our indentured immigration system, which closely resembles that of Australia.
Like New Zealand and Australia The US is heavily reliant on migrant labour, what Donald Trump and his backers hate is the way undocumented migrants can leave an abusive employer and go to work for his competitor down the road.
Donald Trump is on record as saying that he wants a system like Australia (And New Zealand’s) system_ where migrants are officially indentured to one employer for set periods that can be canceled or renewed at the employer’s will.
It should be illegal to sell jobs as part of a ‘help a migrant get a visa’ scheme with prison time deterence.
Why does the govt allow migrant consultants to be based in corrupt India and China? Why arent all migrants expected to deal directly with a govt department instead of allowing migrants to be ripped off by consultants?
Why arent migrant employers that exploit their fellow national migrants immediately deported?
Why aren’t unions meeting migrant workers at the airport to let them know the standard work week in NZ is 40hrs. Then you might not see building sites in East Auckland working 12hr Sundays.
Why is the govt selling unearned citizenship to billionaires?
If over immigration rates are too high and immigrants are sourced from a narrow band of countries then the migrants are not going to get with the kiwi program and assimilate the ideas of one man one vote, free speech, individual rights, freedom of religion, the rule of law, separation of powers and an independent judiciary.
Instead we will have cultural ghettos cool with authoritarian influence from east asia and suburbs full of islamic girls not allowed a kiwi education and sharia law implemented within their community.