Knee-Jerk Immigration Policy

Well, look, we absolutely do. And there are certain regions in New Zealand where there is low unemployment or there are Kiwis who are just not willing to do some of those jobs, be it in agriculture or in, for example, aged care. We rely on migrant workers, businesses rely on them, and we already have things in place where we are either using the tax system to collect tax off them, or last year I put a build. through the House which we're about to implement which will look at what additional costs that migrants impose and be able to collect those in a reasonable and proportionate way through the immigration levy system very carefully thought through and It would be those costs incurred in things like health and education, but in a very reasonable and proportionate way. What is not reasonable or proportionate is this idea of a $6 a day charge, which has to be charged upfront as a levy. And if you are a dairy farm worker and you get a manager, for example, that's a five year visa, that's an $11,000 upfront cost that a migrant will have to pay on top of their visa fee and their health check screening they have to do and all those other costs. Now, you and I both know there ain't no migrant going to pay that. That's going to be the employer that who is desperate, has no other choice, that will end up paying that $11,000 to secure. secure the migrant that they need and let's not forget they probably come in with a partner who will have an open work rights they will need the $11,000 upfront cost too so there's $22,000 to secure the migrant that you need times that across all the migrants you have working in your business