FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3 December 2003

"Return to sender" urges Postal Worker

One useful response to the offensive circular being distributed by NZ First is to send it back marked "return to sender" says Postal Workers Association organiser Mike Treen. While many Postal Workers were unhappy at having to deliver such an objectionable document we would be happy to give them back to Peters and his Party.

"The circular is a lying document designed to foment hatred against a segment of the community and scapegoat them for all the ills of society. Hitler used the same tactic against the Jews.

"How can Winston Peters claim that "Health, education, welfare, transport and housing facilities are collapsing under the weight of immigration" when the net immigration figure for the past 25 years is a grand total of 1310. Some years arrivals have exceeded departures and in other years the reverse is true. The last couple of years has seen net arrivals but it hasn't been enough to make up for the net loss in the previous 23.

"The last two years have also seen a continuing decline in official unemployment numbers. If immigration is so bad why is the economy continuing to grow. When unemployment rises Winston Peters is the first to claim a link between that rise and immigration. Why doesn't he accept that there may be a link between growth, a decline in unemployment, and job expansion.

His pamphlet uses a dramatic graph to show the rise in Auckland's Asian population. What is doesn't point out is that thousands of these people are students pumping millions into the local economy through tuition and homestay fees and creating hundreds of teaching jobs at schools and universities.

"Latest figures from the Statistics Department show that Auckland is the fastest growing region in New Zealand. But as the Auckland Regional Council points out 'contrary to popular, a large proportion (33%) of this growth is due to natural increase, while a further significant proportion is attributable to New Zealanders returning from extended visits overseas.' Does Winston want to stop New Zealanders returning to Auckland? Or perhaps he plans a programme of compulsory sterilisation!

"There are problems in Auckland but it is false to blame the immigrant. No immigrant is responsible for the chaos in our public transport planning of the fact they can't get the trains to run on time."

"With his usual generosity of spirit Peters complains about refugees bills being paid by taxpayers. Of more concern to me is that this circular which is designed to incite hatred against an important segment of our society is being delivered to every home in New Zealand using taxpayers money. We think this should be investigated by the Speaker of Parliament and stopped."

ENDS

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