Garner on the exodus to Oz

Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, September 21st, 2012 - 51 comments
Categories: economy, im/migration, International, national - Tags: ,

John Key is one kind of Wizard all right – a Wizard of Oz. He can make people disappear there. Duncan Garner rips in to him:

It’s a long way from what John Key was saying in 2008 – when he stood in Wellington’s 36,000 person capacity Westpac Stadium to symbolise the number of people leaving for Australia each year.

His message was clear – that people were over the Helen Clark years – and he was going to fix the brain drain.
Well truth is, it’s got worse.

We’d have to add another level onto Westpac Stadium to fit them in now. Guess National won’t shoot another commercial down there at the next election.

And don’t expect any press releases from National giving excuses for today’s figures.

The Greens have been quick though. (where’s Labour? Friday-itis?)

Russel Norman says the Government hasn’t intervened enough in the economy to keep people here and to keep people in jobs.
“The total number who have left since the Key Government came to power now stands at over 166,000. That’s more than the entire populations of Northland or Hawkes Bay,” says Norman.

In manufacturing alone, Norman says 40,000 jobs have been lost under this Government. “It is past time that the National Government acted. There are a range of measures that other Governments are taking to protect and grow their industries and give jobs to their people,” he says.

Sure the Government will point to yesterday’s growth figures as encouraging. And yes there are some signs of life amongst the ‘grumpy growth’ that Bill English talks about. But let’s not overstate that.

So New Zealanders – in record numbers – are voting with their feet.

This is not good for us as a country.

It’s not good for our skill base.

It’s not good for employers, our schools, our communities, our businesses and our growth prospects.

We need our best and brightest to stay here and build a ‘brighter future’ for all. Who said that?

We are in the days of the mass exodus, and no one seems to know how and if we can stop it.

It’s certainly not something the Government talks about anymore.

And there are 53,900 reasons why.

When the next election rolls around, remember just what National promises are worth.

51 comments on “Garner on the exodus to Oz ”

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  1. georgecom 1
    21 September 2012 at 4:59 pm

    Will there be direct flights from Planet Key to Australia?

  2. Dr Terry 2
    21 September 2012 at 5:15 pm

    When ever are voters going to put behind them past biases about the Greens? Every day I am receiving from them up-to-date reports on current issues. These reports are highly intelligent and extremely well informed, and nearly always ahead of anything from Labour. People must wake up their ideas and realise that they do have a ready and fresh alternative, one which offers explicit policy alternatives. Send for their regular statements, you will be surprised and impressed.

    • Carol 2.1
      21 September 2012 at 5:21 pm

      Well, I think the Greens have been getting more MSM (and positive public) attention of late because they have their policies and principles largely worked out, and are quick off the mark – no waiting about testing focus groups before they decide what to say.

      But I wouldn’t expect Garner to be very positive about them

    • OneTrack 2.2
      21 September 2012 at 8:12 pm

      I havent been able to get anything clear on what their policies actually are, apart from a lot of hope and change rhetoric.

      When they have closed all the mines, closed all the dairy and sheep farms, raised everybodies income tax, put up the ETS and applied it to all sectors, will there be any business actually left and viable in NZ. They could actually nationalise everything I guess. They might have to.

      • Anne 2.2.1
        21 September 2012 at 8:14 pm

        🙄

      • weka 2.2.2
        21 September 2012 at 8:18 pm

        “I havent been able to get anything clear on what their policies actually are”

        Are you illiterate? 

      • Jokerman 2.2.3
        21 September 2012 at 8:18 pm

        hope culture may be preferable to tragedy culture
        guilt culture may be preferable to shame culture

        • BernyD 2.2.3.1
          21 September 2012 at 8:20 pm

          Natural physical reaction would decry that statement
          It’s called guilt/shame for a reason.
          Observable human reaction.

          • Jokerman 2.2.3.1.1
            21 September 2012 at 8:25 pm

            yep.generally its the ol’ fight or flight (not enuff breathing being, usually becoming) -Krishnamurti

      • fatty 2.2.4
        21 September 2012 at 8:24 pm

        “I havent been able to get anything clear on what their policies actually are”

        try their website dumbass

      • blue leopard 2.2.5
        21 September 2012 at 11:07 pm

        OneTrack,

        Yes, I have been feeling exactly the same about National too, they are so full of rhetoric and appear to be closing as many businesses and aiming at as many job losses as possible. One could be forgiven for thinking that their agenda wasn’t one of destroying our country.

        “A lot of hope” Exactly! And so full of hot air, all talk! I mean a “brighter future” come on, what a joke! “Blighted” more like

        …It WAS National you were referring to wasn’t it?….

  3. captain hook 3
    21 September 2012 at 5:16 pm

    HO HUM
    PEOPLE COME AND PEOPLE GO
    thats the way of the world.
    When is garner going to do something about the thieves trying to steal POAL off the people of Auckland?

  4. Carol 4
    21 September 2012 at 5:17 pm

    The Greens have been quick though. (where’s Labour? Friday-itis?)

    Cunliffe has a post about if on RA today:

    http://blog.labour.org.nz/2012/09/21/exodus-honesty/

    He suggests 5 ways of tackling the issue:

    It just seems National is unwilling to take the steps that New Zealanders know are needed to get out economy moving again. Things like:

    1. Rebuilding our export and manufacturing heart through monetary reforms that will drive a more stable and realistic exchange rate, instead of heading for dollar parity with the US dollar,

    2. Creating more local savings available for positive local businesses to grow and employ Kiwis who might otherwise jump the ditch, through measures like universal KiwiSaver and pro-growth tax reform,

    3. Revving up our innovation engine through R&D tax credits, increased direct investment, and better linking out research institutes, universities and businesses together,

    4. Building high performance work places that enhance productivity and pay good wages with decent conditions. Finance Minister Bill English actually seems to love the idea of a “low cost” and low waged economy. Everyone else wants New Zealand to be a high value economy,

    5. Actively partnering with regions and industry sectors to create sustainable growth and strong communities all around New Zealand.

    And Shearer has made a statement today:

    http://www.labour.org.nz/news/exodus-to-aussie-leaves-kiwis-disappointed-and-disillusioned

    • J. Andals 4.1
      21 September 2012 at 6:09 pm

      But, what does it all mean, Basil?!

      We want bills in parliament, not words. We want specific actions which we can take, which could inspire belief.

      • gobsmacked 4.1.1
        21 September 2012 at 6:16 pm

        To be fair, the one thing Labour have done well in opposition is bills in parliament (aided by the luck of the draw).

        But their communication problems are much more deep-rooted, and – as in many organisations – it seems to come down to senior people being too slow, and savvy people being too junior.

        • OneTrack 4.1.1.1
          21 September 2012 at 8:14 pm

          Gay rights and marriage bills will really help keep lots of people in nz

          • felix 4.1.1.1.1
            21 September 2012 at 9:08 pm

            Higher wages would be a better incentive to stay. Labour should put up a bill to raise the minimum wage to something people might be able to live on.

            Oh wait they did, and National, Dunne and Banks voted it down.

            Marriage bills it is then.

            • Colonial Viper 4.1.1.1.1.1
              21 September 2012 at 10:56 pm

              With all due respect Felix. You and I know that the minimum wage bill is a crappy little sticky plaster.

              Its gonna do a big fat zero for keeping our diesel mechanics, HT drivers, rail engineers, software developers, teachers, doctors, nurses, network engineers, mine operators and HV linesmen in this country.

      • Colonial Viper 4.1.2
        21 September 2012 at 10:52 pm

        J Andals said

        We want bills in parliament, not words.

        NO NO NO

        We want Labour to rearm Government so that it can directly act in our economy. Fuck passing pieces of paper.

        Get out there, employ people and build rail, houses, schools, hospitals.

        Create 75,000 new jobs over 3 years. Fucking easy. You’re the Government with a $90B budget. Do it yourself.

        Ministry of Public Works.

  5. mike e 5
    21 September 2012 at 5:17 pm

    PinKey shows off side effects of have no toilets (nirvana)
    But he was already full of #*it.

  6. bbfloyd 6
    21 September 2012 at 5:53 pm

    Not sure on the timing, but unless the australian government can be persuaded reverse it’s postponement of the large infrastructure work, there will be a few tens of thousands of kiwis having to come home…… Do we yet see the misty outline of the excremental cloud as it heads to the Wellington wind farm?

    The exodus will have temporarily halted, but the unemployment figures will be hard to pin on the labour party…. I look forward to Garnish spinning some sort of blame into that one…

    Nice inference of complicity Garnish managed to slip in to that “man of the people” pose btw…..

    Makes one wonder if all the statements issued by the labour party over the last couple of years or so never really happened…And whether the whole article was done simply to put the friday-itis crack in…

    The nats may have inadvertently created a generation of itinerant workers…. I would assume that large numbers of those tradies getting laid off in oz will be looking everywhere but nz for work…

    It would be ironic if a few thousand ended up working on infrastructure in china….. unlikely but possible…

  7. Anne 7
    21 September 2012 at 6:07 pm

    Makes one wonder if all the statements issued by the labour party over the last couple of years or so never really happened
And whether the whole article was done simply to put the friday-itis crack in


    Thanks bbfloyd: I was first off the mark making precisely the same point but deleted because I decided I’d done enough posting for one day.

    Labour have been making statements on the brain drain for at least the past six months… in press releases… on the radio… TV interviews… you name it.

    Garner has got to have his sarky dig at Labour even when the story is not about them and he knows his claim is not true.

    • bbfloyd 7.1
      21 September 2012 at 7:04 pm

      “garnish has got to have his sarky dig at labour” … that’s what he’s paid the big dollars for…. it certainly ain’t upholding the ethics, credibility, and dignity of the fourth estate…. that’s johnny armstrongs windmill at present….

      He wouldn’t get to retire in the house on johnny sparkles front lawn in hawaii if he tried to do the job he purports to do….

  8. muzza 8
    21 September 2012 at 6:18 pm

    The question is why now Duncan, what did they do to you to garnish your “wrath”

    • bbfloyd 8.1
      21 September 2012 at 6:54 pm

      rock star journalists have notoriously thin skin… maybe someone let slip a home truth or two….

      Although the herald has obviously been instructed to go on the attack….One does have to wonder what the nats are so afraid of us finding out…

  9. Anne 9
    21 September 2012 at 7:54 pm

    One does have to wonder what the nats are so afraid of us finding out


    The blanked-out bits of the Dotcom/Banks police report?

    • bbfloyd 9.1
      22 September 2012 at 11:39 am

      Bullseye….the bits that he HAS seen in the uncensored version…..

      IS there any but those in the terminally tory ward that doesn’t know what a lying sack of shit johnny sparkles is by now?

      • bbfloyd 9.1.1
        22 September 2012 at 2:17 pm

        addendum to that… What ELSE are they afraid we will find out? As in, how many more “skeletons” are there waiting for the fourth estate to “suddenly” start uncovering?

        If self interest dictates it, then there could be a flood of exposition of national party corruption, and insider trading….

        Good reason for the nats to be taking preemptive action…..Wonder what the inducements are now…It must be getting expensive to keep these guys on the wagon…. It is their credibility that’s being used up after all…….

  10. Jokerman 10
    21 September 2012 at 8:21 pm

    i am warming to Patrick Gower’s MSM delivery

    • Colonial Viper 10.1
      21 September 2012 at 10:59 pm

      Let’s see if there is more to come. An apertif does not a banquet make.

      • bbfloyd 10.1.1
        22 September 2012 at 11:43 am

        Gower is a member of the Uriah Heep impersonators club…. He’s just giving himself some camouflage so that he can continue undermining proper debate for a little while longer…He gets his cues from the masters(guyon E-spinner, dunkie garnish)….

  11. Blue 11
    21 September 2012 at 9:50 pm

    What the hell? Is this a journalist who can remember all the way back to 2008? Wonders may never cease.

    More than this, the said journalist seems to recognise that there is a significant discrepancy between what John Key promised in 2008, and what has actually happened since then.

    But what really convinces me that I must have imbibed some mind-altering substance is that it appears that the journalist has actually written this up for the public to read.

    I thought they’d outlawed that sort of thing.

    Looks like I’ll have to read the Herald tomorrow to sober up.

    • peterlepaysan 11.1
      21 September 2012 at 10:09 pm

      Reading the Herald is more likely to drive you to drink.

      That anyone (especially Garner) remembers the fatuous Nat “promises” is amazing.

  12. irascible 12
    22 September 2012 at 6:46 am

    Strange that Garner doesn’t remember receiving any Labour media releases, perhaps he is suffering from the KeYs-Banks syndrome “I can’t read, I don’t read and therefore I can’t remember”, as my in box and the Labour blog / web site is full of them. Including all those identified by other correspondents on the issue of the brain drain bleeding that KeY has encouraged.

  13. Fortran 13
    22 September 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Sure, Garner will be standing for Winston Party at the next election.
    No, he could not take the huge drop in wages.

    I am waiiting to hear how that the exodus to Australia is analysed, by say working age adults – how many children, how many Maori taking their children away from the drug gangs etc etc
    How many have firm jobs to go to, and what kind of jobs –
    I am sure that all this info is available.
    It is futile to take an overall picture not backed up by any facts (typical media).

    • mike e 13.1
      22 September 2012 at 2:26 pm

      The fact is Key promised less people would be going to Aus because his tax cuts for the rich would keep our best an brightest here!
      Fact is double the numbers are leaving due to trickle down economics!
      What ever the demographics are I doubt very much if there is any change in percentages!

    • Colonial Viper 13.2
      23 September 2012 at 3:10 pm

      how many Maori taking their children away from the drug gangs etc

      Yes, because Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast don’t have drug gang problems. Get a life mate.

      Analyse all you want; the situation is turning in Australia and in just one or two years we are going to have a lot of Kiwis coming back here for the dole.

      • Jokerman 13.2.1
        23 September 2012 at 3:41 pm

        u ARE onto it brother; aussie states are starting to “raid the kitty” already
        “what goes up, must come down…spinning wheel…got to go round..”

  14. Robert M 14
    23 September 2012 at 2:57 pm

    I largely discount the temporary flow out to work in mines. The real exodus is of skilled tradesman and professionals attracted by greater opportunites for higher sustained earning and more fun on the beaches and in the bars. Large societies offer greater privacy, anonyminity and the chance for a more varied sex and social life. Most people are probably mainly hetro, so the marriage act reforms are of limited benefit.
    The real problem in Auckland is that John Banks closed it down in his two mayorality terms and made it a much more restricted conservative place. Even compared with Chrsitchurch in 2002-09 , Auckland is markedly lacking in laneway bars, hard rock bars and an open acceptance of the hetro sex industry. It is obviously difficult here to get licensing and finance for sophisticated bars and clubs. Much of the hospitality and hotel, motel industry is clearly charging tarrifs, half or a third of what in real terms the cost of a night was back in the 1980s. There can be no way most of these places are meeting the cost of expansion, replacement and new hotels. Construction of new apartments and hotels in the CBD and most other parts of Auckland has stalled.
    The promotion of the idiot John Banks as somesort of credible civic leader by the likes of Douglas , Hooton and Whale Oil is a scandal. During his tenure as Mayor , Banks was just a prisoner of the Council planers and burearcracy, the Clark Government and the cconservative police force and Ministry of Transport planners. While many leaders, government ministers and the Auckland council planners share a huge share of the blame for Auckland becoming a declining backwater. Nobody is more responsible for the decline than John Banks.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1
      23 September 2012 at 3:09 pm

      Auckland – where the costs of doing business, costs of housing and costs of simple day to day living are well outstripping income levels (for both individuals and small businesses). Which leads to the situation you describe – essentially it is the running down of the economic assets of the city whether they are business assets or personal assets, because re-investment is not calculated to bring in satisfactory returns. Anything which is done up new is done on the cheap with plenty of short cuts. Or with the expectation of making gains on asset price bubble speculation.

      BTW it was Sidney Holland (National) who fucked Auckland.

      • Jokerman 14.1.1
        23 September 2012 at 3:45 pm

        man; youngish speculators are shelling out 1.1M for some gutted weatherboard box from the 40’s
        and then there is all that rusting infrastructure and roads to nowhere

    • Carol 14.2
      23 September 2012 at 3:13 pm

      Well, Robert. I agree Banks has done little of good for Auckland. But his apparent influence on the Auckland hetero sex industry is about as marginal an issue as you claim for same sex marriage. I would guess commercialised hetero sexualised entertainment or facilities is of little interest to the majority of Aucklanders: most women, the very young, most older Aucklanders, and those who couldn’t afford it even if they want to. And if you’re talking of the CBD – traveling into the CBD for entertainment is an expense many in the outer suburbs can’t afford on a regular basis.

      The real problems for Auckland are the lack of investment in public transport over decades; the focus on consumerism, and corporate and commodity culture; limited nurturing grass roots community initiatives…. and increasingly with Rodney’s supercity, the centralisation of services and events in the centre of Auckland.