Immigration And the Outdoor Allure

For Immediate Release
Date: 13 September 2017

The NZ Outdoors Party’s core policies of protecting the environment not only bring benefit to over one million Kiwis who camp, tramp, hunt, fish, dive and kayak in the outdoors but are also instrumental in attracting and maintaining talented overseas people to New Zealand.

Co-Leader David Haynes commented “It has long been known that around 40% of our doctors come from overseas, as do many of our teachers, police officers, engineers, surgeons, film producers and software engineers. What is less well documented is what compels them to up sticks and settle here.”

As part of its election campaign, the Outdoors Party candidates have been talking to voters, including highly skilled immigrants, which has confirmed that outdoors opportunities and the environment are key influences in that decision.

Dr Andrew Rawlingson is a typical example of this, he told the Outdoors Party “Having visited in 2007 as a medical student, I decided to make a permanent move from the United Kingdom to New Zealand in 2012 as a qualified doctor. The single biggest reason for this was outdoor activities. Primarily fishing, but hunting and tramping as well. As a lifelong angler, I was, and am continually, amazed at the quality of fishing available in New Zealand, both freshwater and saltwater. This is a unique and valuable resource which needs protecting. Having witnessed fish stocks collapse in my country of origin due to commercial exploitation, I’m passionate that the same thing doesn’t happen in my new home. It is for this reason that I wholeheartedly support the New Zealand Outdoors Party.”

The Outdoors Party believes that if we wish to continue to attract the best brains and skills into New Zealand, we need to protect our freshwater, our land and our seas for everyone, for ever.
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