Hon Lockwood Smith MP
National Party Immigration Spokesman
20 March 2008
PM’s shame turns into a disgrace
The number of Kiwis heading across the ditch is becoming a national disgrace thanks to Labour, says National’s
Immigration spokesman, Lockwood Smith.
Dr Smith says the latest immigration statistics released today show the net loss of people to Australia has increased
from 2,540 last February to 3,511 in the month just passed.
“That’s a staggering 38.2% increase. The exodus is turning into a flood. Helen Clark said in 2000, that she was ashamed
of the number of Kiwis leaving for Australia, and that ‘we can no longer stand back and watch our best and brightest
leave and take their ideas and now even their business with them’.
“But that’s exactly what she’s doing.
“In the past 12 months, 78,653 people left New Zealand to live somewhere else in the world and the net loss of people to
Australia in the past 12 months is almost 30,000.
“Kiwis are voting with their feet because they are fed up with a Labour Government that has mismanaged the economy,
failed to increase after-tax incomes by reducing personal tax, and presides over the second highest interest rates in
the developed world.
“Labour’s head-in-the-sand approach will only see the problem worsen.”
ENDS