Written By:
te reo putake - Date published:
9:00 am, October 12th, 2016 - 67 comments
Categories: China, class war, David Farrar, discrimination, flip-flop, Politics, racism, same old national, Satire -
Tags: chinese community, im/migration, michael woodhouse, national, racism
The National Government has decided to outflank NZ First and target the families of Asian immigrants to make it look like it’s doing something about immigration and the linked housing crisis.
It has temporarily frozen the ‘parents’ category for immigration, blocking the parents and grandparents of already settled migrants from coming to NZ. Minister Michael Woodhouse claims the older migrants are costing NZ tens of millions in welfare payments and hospital bills.
The ban mainly applies to Chinese and Indian families.
Reaction has been swift and furious.
Right wing humbug Phil Quin was so outraged he has joined National just so he can quit.
“In light of National’s calculated decision to deploy racial profiling as a political tactic, I resign my membership of the party. I am stunned that National, as a matter of conscious political strategy, would trawl through a dubiously acquired list of immigrants to identify Chinese sounding names”. He adds, “Am I getting paid for this? $500 for a thousand words sounds fair, OK?”.
Blogger, poller and part time penguin impersonator David Farrar was equally scathing:
“John Key demoted Lockwood Smith for his comments on Asians. Will Key continue to defend Woodhouse? Imagine if for example a Don Brash led National Party had come out with a shonky analysis like this, and used the language Woodhouse did? Every Maori Party and ACT MP in Parliament would have been calling Brash racist. Instead, we have silence.”
Farrar’s trenchant criticism was supported by the Race Relations Conciliator:
“Dumbing down complex economic woes and blaming them on an ethnic community whose members are already feeling under pressure is neither new nor unique but it’s always disappointing,” Dame Susan Devoy said about something else.
However, Housing Minister Nick Smith said National was not playing the “oldest political trick in the book” by picking on one ethnic group.
“In fact”, Minister Smith went on to not say, “we’re attacking two ethnicities, so we’re twice as tricky as Labour. Take that Twyford!”
Minister Smith went on to clarify his remarks:
“The Government will not be making immigration policy based on people’s surnames. We’ll be making immigration policy based on people’s parent’s surnames, which is a completely different thing.”
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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What a load of bull kaka too many chinese abusing our system this morning a lady called the radio channel I was listening to say they have 6 Chinese elderly people in the home she works at, they spoke no English and had very high needs. This is actually appalling at a time when many NZers cannot get any assistance from our government but they can bring these people here to sponge of our welfare when we cant even get help form our welfare state something is seriously is wrong here.
Ah yes another major NZ political party trying to make political hay from targetting the Chinese. Shall we build a wall?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China
And we’ll get China to pay for it! It’ll be great, trust me.
Well, maybe 5ppm of it.
Fuck YEah!
walls to keep them in
wall to keep them out
cause we run out of fucks to give !!
Fuck YEah!!
We don’t need a wall Viper we need a decent government with ethics, morals and principles
+1
One that will hold the arseholes to account whilst protecting the vulnerable.
(and in case you’re a Natzi – medium to long term, that’s ekshully good buzzniss in knomic terms ‘cos the bubble is about to pop and there’s nothing left to sell)
(ooops – “going forward”)
And make New Zealand great again!
Not a bad idea, that.
Jones, all you have to do is change the government next year.
Greatness via a mediocre middle of the road market oriented growth focussed centrist leaning LAB/GR coalition.
Not a bad idea.
As good as my favourite: Put New Zealand and New Zealanders First (source: N.Z.F. Fifteen Fundamental Principles, No. 1).
Would have expected way more than just a whimper from you Colonial Viper. Where’s the outrage like you showed against Labour and Chinese sounding names?
National has plenty of Asian MPs unlike Labour with zero so I let them off on this one
Lol that’s a poor and pathetic excuse indeed.
Build a chinese wall CV ?
We already have one its called The Warehouse, Briscoes, Bunnings, K Mart and constuction steel.
All perfectly carried on the backs of Chinese made asbestos lined rolling stock.
Why a wall ??? CV??? Get real mate we can’t afford to support these fuckers! Make them pay for their care. Simple as.
Excuse me, why have they even been let into the country in the first place?
NZ welfare is failing the most vulnerable. With so many offshore tax cheats, low wages and huge government subsidies to those low wages, corporate welfare, there is a point where the governments will no say we no longer can afford social welfare or corporatise it for their mates aka Serco and Social bonds.
I agree with closing down loopholes for aged parents of migrants who have never paid any taxes here, to enjoy the NZ welfare without having contributed anything.
Migration should not be a right, it should be a privilege. I have friends who migrated here from Eastern Europe, they then had their parents migrate too and then the friends left and got jobs in Europe and their aged parents stayed here. While both my friends and their parents were lovely people, it did not seem right that this could happen and this was 20 years ago. Since then, migration has gone on Steroids.
Was talking to someone the other day who was a Gib stopper. He said that his pay rate was the same as 20 years ago. It had not gone up. The building industry hires big teams of migrant workers to do the work at cut price rates, (and then they ring him up to do the last difficult bits which the untrained migrant workers can’t do).
It is not just the aged parents, it is the whole system that is wrong. I don’t blame the migrants, I blame the systems in place using globalisation to benefit the .1% who are gaining more power and wealth, while the middle class dies and we get a new class of people who are living hand to mouth on wages from 20 years ago, less conditions and less safety nets after paying taxes all their lives.
So damn right stagnant wages and over the top immigration help no one.
+100 save nz…we cant afford to keep our own grannies…let alone our own children…
Save NZ ur so on the ball, this has been a silent dragon for the whole country, & it’s all about political gain.
NZ needs to support its own people in need before it throws it away to Bludging immigrants of all Nationalities…………
This is not racist, this is very badly managed policy.
The United Nations has a lot to answer for!!!!
Wow, TRP, did you not have your morning coffee?
Read the link you have provided, National have closed the parent category to ALL applicants, not just Chinese ‘sounding’ ones.
Also, it was Benedict Collins, the reporter that seems to have singled out Chinese and Indians, unless you can point to a quote from Woodhouse singling them out?
The remainder of your poor attempt at satire is therefore redundant.
Read the link. 50% of affected would be migrants are Chinese, 20% Indian. Geddit now?
Yes, who said that TRP? National never singled these people out or even mentioned them, the reporter has simply added facts to make it sound like racial profiling and you have taken the bait
” … the reporter has simply added facts …”
Good thing I didn’t have that coffee, Bob, I can’t afford a new keyboard!
You’ve gotta admit, it is a terrifying new tactic for reporters to be adding facts to National’s press releases, rather than just publishing them verbatim. Once you start bringing facts into the story, where will it all end?
Long may it continue! However, when it is simply done to create a story…
TRP has been hanging out for any reason to say “National did it too” around singling out Chinese as he knows that Labour really did fuck up with their ‘Chinese sounding names’ analysis, and ths is as good as he has got.
I notice he didn’t think it was racist when National raised benefits even though that was 3x more likely to benefit Maori than Pakeha
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sacl/about/cpf/publications/pdfs/2015/WP09_2014_Indicators-of-Inequality.pdf
Suck it up, Bob! This is a sign of just how desperate the Nats are these days. The polling is generally poor overall for them and immigration and housing are where they’re really getting hurt. So, rather than address the big issue, housing, they’ve gone for a soft target; migrants. And in this case, those pesky facts you so dislike say that the are directly targeting Asians. Spin it anyway you want, National just went feral on the Chinese.
So you have changed your recent stance then? Winston was being racist?
“It’s probably time for an easing back on immigration numbers. Not because of prejudice, but because of practicality”
https://thestandard.org.nz/taihoa-on-immigration/
It’s not me that’s changed, it’s National. Poor, desperate National.
So National change their stance to match your previously stated stance and you bag them for it…are you waiting for Andrew Little to endorse the changes before getting in behind them yourself? Or do you not actually have a stance, just a Donald Trump-esque tendency to say what you think at the time, then back track when it seems to support the team you don’t?
C’mon, Bob. Might be time for you to have a coffee, aye? The point of the post is that National have flip flopped to a position they previously derided because they are in desperate straights, polling wise. They’re hypocrites.
This particular bit of tinkering is not going to make a damn bit of difference to the housing problem, which is the real issue, but it’s humorous that they are forced to borrow from Winston’s play book. Mind you, it’s been a day for that, as I see from MS’s post that they’ve shamelessly stolen from Labour on housing as well.
My own position hasn’t changed from when I wrote the ‘Taihoa’ post. We need to have a good hard look at whether the current immigration system, which is based on the desires of the rich, home and abroad, is fit for purpose.
My apologies TRP, I obviously missed the point of the post. I thought it was calling National’s latest immigration change racist and suggesting the people that called Labour’s ‘Chinese sounding names’ analysis racist should be doing the same here. I didn’t actually see anywhere in the post National’s previously held position, or how they have now changed it because they are in “dire straights” causing them to be hypocrites.
I also didn’t see where National said this has anything to do with the housing problem, I thought they were doing this because of the burden on the health system.
I really must need a coffee if I have got it all so wrong! Or maybe you do?
Better still Bob, take off your blue glasses, wipe off that egg that’s all over your face, while having that coffee.
ROFL Psycho Milt, the mind boggles!!!
P.S Don’t even believe that National is trying to lower immigration. They just want headlines looking like they are doing something, so that their voters who are getting worried don’t vote NZ First or Labour. (Unlikely because Labour, like housing always seem to be championing minority voters who don’t tend to vote for them).
The other day saw front page Granny headline National was building affordable housing too. Yep love the headlines and maybe they build a few for a photo op before the election, sarc.
Labour should stay right off housing and immigration in my view. Let NZ First fight it and Greens. Both issues are so polarising that they lose as many voters as they gain.
Now – dont get me wrong – Im not happy about it – but for a very different reason. We were looking at brining in my wifes family (My wife is English) – and now – well its not looking good / possible.
Do I think its racist – not a little bit.
@James – our health system is already grinding to a halt, we have a massive aging population issue, so nope I don’t think it is unfair. I don’t care what ethnicity the parents are – let them come on holiday to visit family – they don’t have to become citizens to see their children.
At no point did I say it was unfair. I was stating that it wasnt a racist attack and impacted all (giving a personal example) how it impacts all nationalities.
Immigration is not racist. All countries have policies unless you propose a One world open government. Kiwis can’t rock up into the UK and get free health, super and citizenship.
tip for tat James we (Maori ) were promised under the TOW the same rights as British subjects and that has never happened so suck it up mate
yeah OK – whatever.
BTW – its tit for tat.
[I’m rarely keen to see people pulling up minor spelling mistakes, James. Smartphones, fat fingers, autocorrect etc. often lead to trifling errors. As long as the meaning is clear, and it’s not a telling mistake such as a self proclaimed educational expert spelling school with a ‘k’, I find ignoring typos makes for better discussions. TRP]
It’s a curious choice of migrant category to deter. But then community/family values are of little interest to a party that reproduce asexually by budding, or regrow from severed tentacles.
Token efforts can make a government ridiculous – even a government as ridiculous as Key’s is already.
It’s the only category that does not affect GDP much. That’s how cynical they are – this govt knows NZ’s ‘growth’ is only because they are letting so many working migrants move here. It also helps suppress wages so business profits end up in owners’ pockets, then party coffers.
Yes – I imagine though that the immoral Gnats will eventually learn that Asian values do not countenance the abandonment of the older generation.
Naturally the Gnats, brief creatures that they are, cannot think so far ahead.
“Asian values do not countenance the abandonment of the older generation”
Apparently they do for all of these people moving to New Zealand and leaving their parents / grandparents behind.
It’s all true and about time the Government did something about it. Go to any Public Hospital clinic and see how many elderly non English speaking Asians are hanging out. And my husband would not be allowed into NZ as he is over 50 and has had Cancer. He is a white middle class westerner with a Phd. I can guarantee he would not get residency.
Jerko – yes sorry the truthful applications don’t get through. Just get a fake medical certificate and qualifications as a Project Manager or Chef (essential skills here) and he will fly through the process. Academics no way!!!
Or a truck driver. Hell, he could even pick fruit if he didn’t mind sleeping in a barn and being paid poverty wages.
hard luck try another country Jerko
How does the system work for elderly foreigners – I have always thought that National Super was eligible only for people who have lived in reciprocating countries who have the same type of scheme. What happens to people who have lived in non-reciprocating countries, do they qualify as well.
I see in the doctor’s surgery foreign patients have forms to fill in and have to pay more for their appointments and I presume that the public hospitals charge patients who are non-residents.
I see plenty of elderly foreign persons on the buses with gold cards so I presume they are on National Super, how do they qualify for it?
Please, stop this racist nonsense, if we had an influx of Germans, Poles you name it who were elderly and taking advantage of our Residential Care Homes and getting National Super – we would still feel like the sense of unfairness that it is.
Why doesn’t the Government they just make the law simple, all elderly people from non-reciprocating countries who come in on the family unification scheme have to be cared for by their families, if the families cannot care for them then they should be returned home. Harsh, but at least the families would know in advance and be aware of the law.
“How does the system work for elderly foreigners”?
In general you have to satisfy the rules that you
“are aged 65 or over
are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
normally live in New Zealand at the time you apply.”
I think people in the Cook Islands can apply from there.
I believe a person from any country qualifies if –
“To get NZ Super you must have lived in New Zealand for at least 10 years since you turned 20. Five of those years must be since you turned 50.”
You may be able to get it earlier if
“You may qualify for NZ Super with less than 10 years residence if you have migrated to New Zealand from a country that New Zealand has a social security agreement with.”
That is it.
Thank you Alwyn for bringing me up to date.
If you marry a Kiwi you also can get NZ Super somehow.
I think that this enables you to get permanent residency after a couple of years of having an ordinary residence visa. A person with a residence visa doesn’t qualify. One with a permanent residence visa does.
You would still have to meet the rules I have quoted. If you got married you wouldn’t get the super until you had moved into the permanent category, AND done the 10 years.
Well there is a difference between paying taxes and returning a tax form with a loss. A person I know has never paid any positive taxes but being in a relationship with a Kiwi permanent resident who did pay taxes, somehow qualifies for part of the super.
Is this a racist response or pragmatic. The current policy is that if 50% or more of your children have NZ residency you have automatic entry, with European countries very few older people qualify, with the Chinese one child policy an immigrant couple brings in 4 more and they potentially can bring another 8.There is a time limit before they are eligible for National Super, 5 yrs I think.But there is a huge cost in other services especially health. Conversely could you imagine what it would be like to drop your own elderly parents into China and expect them to cope.
.
. Te Reo Putake
. A number of countries are under stress from Immigration. New Zealand and the UK are two such.
Immigration up to two decades ago has driven development and even generated some additional wealth. However the golden age of Immigration has passed.
Nations are facing huge Infra Structure Costs; Health Costs; huge Housing difficulty; huge transport cost; Water Costs; sewerage; heating; schooling and Further Education.
The way to fix these costs is to stop immigration. Spend time and money on restoring proper services to existing New Zealanders.
That would not prevent overseas people coming to live here for periods of time. But they must know and agree in advance that New Zealand will not pay out for any costs they incur. Not ever.
Australia applies the same protocols on Kiwis. (Stupidly, Kiwis pay any cost they can for Australians bludging off us. It’s part of our cringe behaviour)..
The current Government and their unthinking supporters put every Kiwi in a cruel jam – by forcing people on our limited income and economy. They then despise people who try and point out to the tin ear of the Government that it is patently wrong to foster aliens whilst abandoning their duty of care to existing New Zealanders.
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The whole immigration policy is a complete bugger’s muddle.
We’ve had an opposition parties’ look at housing, it may be way past time to do likewise with immigration.
Immigration NZ and the Labour Inspectorate are utterly under-resourced.
– We deport the victims of immigration and tertiary (mainly, almost always private) tertiary education scams, rather than the perpetrators.
– We get students here under false pretenses (that’s even with applicants having done everything possible to do due diligence: speaking directly with an education provider; promises of ‘cross credits’; promises of employment-relevant to qualifications attained). Often the courses are utterly facile and the students know more than the provider – clip clip lovely looking piece of paper as a record of achievement
– We don’t properly police consultants, or even those in our own legal profession who clip the ticket
– We don’t care about the welfare of students and others [who have done due diligence] but who find a different story on arrival: living in what amounts to sheds, or 6 to a room; under minimum wage employment; demands for payments (like $2k to have papers ‘made right’ after purposely failing students); or $30k to buy residency …….. the list goes on ……
Recently the under-resourced Labour Inspectorate and INZ are becoming aware, however they don’t have the resources to do anything about it EVEN WHEN a complainant is willing to assist in every way.
There are cases (some of them amongst those 41) where a quick deportation is easier (and what INZ and others think), and less embarrassing than an investigation.
My list of contacts is building up, as is the case with various other advocates.
The opposition (INCLUDING Winston) are correct – in that the perpetrators rather than the victims should be deported.
It’s a very short sighted policy that is soon to backfire. (I’d suggest if the Natzis aren’t very very careful, the bottom is about to be knocked out of Steven Joyce’s “education EXPORTS” – and it’ll be as ugly as the stain caused by racist attacks in Melbourne a few short years ago – possibly worse in economic terms – i.e. the only criterion Natzis understand – aside from damage caused thru’ forced prostitution, resorting to gambling, addiction to drugs, suicidal tendencies, depression, shame, escapist behaviour – ALL A REALLY GOOD LOOK FOR NUZULL eh?).
There does need to be an opposition summit. There needs to be one because various claims have been made (such as the old Kiwis don’t want to show up for work in certain [underpaid, hard-effort] jobs).
I’d caution jumping to black and white conclusions. One of the problems being that we’ve now let this situation go on for SO SO SO fucking long, that if say we were to tell all those ripped off Indian students/underpaid ‘promised-the-world’ immigrants – who’ve done more than their best, the Kiwifruit industry and it’s cycle (and where the expertise is now held in eliminating things such as the PSA virus effectively and quickly) – that industry would collapse, or at the very least struggle. (I know – none are indispensible, tho’ our treatment of ripped off students and lied-to others suggests otherwise).
The number of stories concerning ripped off students and international workers on the RadioNZ website is becoming embarrassing. Won’t be long before The Times of India and others pick up on it.
/end rant
And what about the number of ripped of young kiwis under the 90 day rule? ? The appallingly unsafe working conditions everywhere even in the hospo industry. (9hours no breaks not even for the toilet?) Two of my tertiary educated offspring had to emigrate to Australia before they experienced permanent full time employment and a living wage. NZ sucks for the young regardless of where they come from.
I agree entirely. The situation has gone on far too long. My own offspring too having had to go overseas because of low wages and to try and make headway into student debt and avoid shitty conditions. Look at the way Australia is treating Kiwis too. I hope yours don’t get sick
Don’t mention immigration you will be classified as a racist, even the Race Relations Conciliator was getting up Winston Peters for discussing immigration?
.
. “… permanent full time employment and living wage …”
Hi Shona
. The way Billy English and John Key have turned NZ youth into serfs is appalling beyond words.
All in favour of alien friends who pass significant money into National Party coffers..
It is one thing for English to sell great chunks of our hard won assets to overseas people. But it is disgusting that they scorn and demean our offspring. They literally despise New Zealand youth.
They hate our kids getting good wages, secure jobs and good conditions. I hope your two fine and well educated children continue to get good deals in Australia. They sure will not get so much even as a fair go here Shona.
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I remember being told over 10 years ago by a friend that migrants were being conned and that government agencies were on the take or blind eyed. I was not convinced then. But now, on looking back…