Labour leader on State of Auckland report
Auckland risks being cast into obscurity as "a global city" according to a just released report. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
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The Spinoff
an hour ago
- The Spinoff
Echo Chamber: Shane Jones, greatest ever Australian politician?
Nearly 30,000 New Zealanders crossed the ditch last year. Could the minister for resources be next? Echo Chamber is The Spinoff's dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. The last time the 54th parliament of New Zealand was gathered in the House for question time was about two weeks ago. Back then, the price of butter was the main thing on the minds of the Labour Party caucus, who appeared to see the rising cost of dairy products as a sign of the end times. On Tuesday, the new objective was to put the spotlight on the nearly 30,000 New Zealanders who left the country for Australia in 2024. So long as there remains plenty of problems to pin to the government, Labour won't have to make the effort to dream up any of its own policies. There have been two significant changes in the House since then as well. The death of Takutai Tarsh Kemp leaves an open seat for either Labour to bring in the next candidate on its list or for former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara to make her parliamentary debut for Te Pāti Māori, depending on who wins the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection on September 6. And, following the sudden departure of NZ First MP Tanya Unkovich, the House welcomed a new politician into its fold: David Williams. There was heckling from the opposition benches right off the bat when Labour leader Chris Hipkins rose to ask prime minister Christopher Luxon whether he stood by the government's actions, which he took as an opportunity to laud vocational education minister Penny Simmonds' recent Te Pūkenga restructure announcement, but the jeers drowned him out. When Hipkins came back with 'how many Kiwis have left New Zealand since he became prime minister?', a group of high school students sitting in the public gallery gasped 'ooouusshh!' Resources minister Shane Jones, answering a question from NZ First MP Andy Foster about economic growth in his sector, announced – 'with characteristic modesty' – that he had recently travelled to Singapore and Sydney, and amazed his peers by waxing lyrical about overturning the 'foolish' ban on oil and gas exploration and giving a 'glowing account' of the fast-track laws, the 'most permissive regime in Australasia'. The Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick raised her eyebrows. Jones' characteristic modesty shone through again. 'I have endeavoured to assure investors in the resources sector that we have decriminalised the coal industry,' the minister declared. 'I had the privilege of addressing a host of mining investors [and] professionals in Sydney … They regard the quality of leadership I have shown on behalf of the government of such stature that they invited me to be a politician in Canberra.' 'Take it up!' Labour's Duncan Webb jeered. It's good to know that despite burgeoning opportunities overseas, our best talent stays at home. It wasn't over there. NZ First leader and foreign affairs minister – as he liked to remind his coalition partners before he entered the House on Tuesday – Winston Peters decided to rise and ask the minister if he was saying he'd stop 'virtue signalling' by using local coal rather than 'inferior' offshore coal? It gave Brownlee a moment to consider the importance of phrasing – well, he said, that question is sort of interesting, 'because it's hardly factual as soon as you say 'virtue signalling', but anyway'. When health minister Simeon Brown took patsies from fellow National Party MP Carlos Cheung, it gave deputy prime minister David Seymour a chance to show off his wealth of knowledge on political theory by quoting China's former paramount leader Deng Xiaoping: 'Does the minister subscribe to the philosophy … that it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches the mice?' Brown grinned and rose to his feet, but Brownlee wouldn't let him answer – it would only be a reasonable question, the speaker said, if the minister was some kind of expert in rodent control. The Act Party leader sought leave for his question to be answered, but was shut down again. 'Well, the House is the master of its own destiny,' Seymour said, sagely. Then Swarbrick's voice popped up: 'Get a grip!' Back on the brain drain, Labour's jobs and income spokesperson Ginny Andersen wanted to know whether finance minister Nicola Willis thought the government was doing enough to 'deliver jobs' despite the tens of thousands headed across the Tasman. Andersen quoted Luxon and Seymour's sentiments that Aotearoa is where the opportunities are and having people leave is 'bad', to which Seymour took offence. Who would want a deputy prime minister who thinks New Zealanders leaving the country is a good thing, Seymour asked, then suggested that such a thing might be possible if the New Zealander doing the leaving was Ginny Andersen. His comment had Brownlee reminding the House, yet again, that question time is not an opportunity to attack the opposition. Up in the backbenches, Labour MP Shanan Halbert made his read of Seymour's comments clear: 'Misogynist!' Maybe Seymour could've tried it a different way: it doesn't matter if the cat is in New Zealand or Australia, as long as it still agrees the government is doing a good job.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Push to double international student revenue spurs hope, concern
Photo: Supplied Immigration experts are divided on whether the government's plan to double the country's economic contribution from international students is feasible. Education Minister Erica Stanford unveiled a proposal to boost tertiary education's annual economic contribution to $7.2 billion by 2034 on Monday. From November, eligible student visa holders will be permitted to work up to 25 hours per week, an increase from the current 20-hour limit. What's more, the right to work will be extended to all tertiary students participating in approved exchange programs. The government will also consider introducing a work visa of up to six months to allow international graduates who do not qualify for post-study work time to secure a job under the Accredited Employer Work Visa pathway. Under the new proposal, international students who change their education provider or lower their level of study will need to apply for a new student visa, not just a variation of conditions. Some immigration advisers welcomed the changes, saying the new policy could drive significant growth in international student enrolments. Others, however, expressed doubt about the policy's feasibility, raising concern that it could increase the risk of student exploitation. Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li Sonny Lam, an immigration lawyer at Queen City Law, said international education was one of New Zealand's major exports and should be strategically leveraged. He expressed optimism the new policy would attract more international students and generate job opportunities across the New Zealand economy. "I would refer to history," Lam said. "In the late '90s, we had an education boom. In the early 2000s, we had another education boom. "Both of these times have resulted in the creation of more jobs, both for locals and for students," he said. "When you have more students coming in, there will naturally need to be more businesses to provide for," he said. "International students tend to bring money with them, which is going to have a net positive effect on the job market." Malkiat Singh, a senior immigration adviser and founder of Carmento, described the additional five work hours for eligible student visa holders as a positive shift that could expand part-time employment opportunities for students. "If you did an eight-hour shift as a part-time job previously, the challenge was people were getting lesser opportunities because if they do three shifts, they exceed 20 hours," Singh said. "With 25 hours, the government may allow more people to accept more variety of jobs in which they can do three full shifts or three full days of work." Photo: Supplied Singh said New Zealand had traditionally relied on international students as a supplementary workforce, often because they filled minimum wage roles that local workers were reluctant to undertake. "It appears that the government is trying to see how they can help business owners by creating an additional influx of International student workforce," he said. Singh said currently only international students who had completed a bachelor's degree or higher - or those with qualifications on a designated list - were eligible to apply for a post-study work visa upon graduation. He said education institutions - particularly polytechnics offering courses below a bachelor's degree level - stand to benefit the most if the government introduced a six-month work visa for international graduates who did not currently qualify for post-study work rights. The proposed visa would provide these graduates additional time to seek employment through the Accredited Employer Work Visa pathway. "Polytechnics could see a big surge in application numbers for lower-level courses," he said. "This is likely to increase New Zealand appeal as a destination country for international students, because six months is still a lot better than no work week at all." Peter Luo, an immigration adviser at Express Immigration, holds a contrasting view. He said that while the policy may lead to increased enrolments, it is likely to appeal more to international students seeking financial independence than those prioritizing high-quality education. "For example, some students work overnight shifts at petrol stations, send money home and then struggle to stay awake in class, compromising their academic success," Luo said. Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li Luo said about 90 percent of his international student clients were Chinese, and their ultimate goal was to secure a job after graduation and apply for permanent residency. However, a persistent mismatch between graduates' qualifications and industry needs - combined with current Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) settings - made it difficult for many to achieve that goal. "Skilled Migrant Category policies act as a compass for international students," he said. "However, the current threshold is set too high." "Under this policy, only around 3,000 individuals qualify annually, despite New Zealand's historical need for approximately 30,000 SMC migrants per year." "This disparity creates a significant gap in workforce planning and poses long-term challenges for economic sustainability," he added. Adon Kumar, an employment advocate who has been working with the ethnic community for more than a decade, agreed. He welcomed the government's decision to increase the permitted working hours for international students. However, he was not optimistic that policy alone would lead to a significant increase in enrolment. "Most international students come here, get the qualification and still can't find jobs, or they end up being exploited," he said. Kumar said that gaining residency in New Zealand represented a kind of utopia for many international students, particularly those hoping to bring their families for a better lifestyle and access to education. "It's a huge challenge, despite being given extra hours that they can work," he said. "The problem is they can't find a job," he said. "Even if they can find the job, it's not relevant [to what they studied in tertiary education]." He said the disconnect between classroom learning and industry needs, combined with a highly competitive job market and ongoing exploitation, might lead some international students to reconsider New Zealand as a destination for study. Photo: RNZ / Ziming Li According to Education New Zealand, international student enrolments have continued to rise steadily since 2023. "We are seeing international student enrolments steadily rising to pre-pandemic levels," said Amanda Malu, chief executive of Education New Zealand. Malu said there were 83,425 international students enrolled in 2024, approximately 72 percent of the 115,705 enrolments recorded in 2019. China and India remained the top two source markets, accounting for 34 percent and 14 percent of enrolments respectively, she said. She said research commissioned by Education New Zealand in 2023 found at least 62 percent of international students who completed their education between 2009 and 2019 left the country within a year of completing their studies. For those who remained, most transitioned into employment. The research showed that 87 percent of international students were employed two years after completing their studies, with 79 percent working in full-time roles. A spokesperson for Education Minister Erica Stanford said it was ultimately up to international students to decide what they studied and which pathways they pursued toward residency, noting that residency outcomes were not the primary driver behind policy changes. The spokesperson said the government had taken a considered approach to strike the right balance between increasing student numbers, maintaining the quality of education and managing broader impacts on New Zealanders.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Government announces $600,000 support package for flood-affected farmers
Todd McClay has announced a $600,000 support package from government and industry for the Nelson Tasman region rural sector. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER The minister of agriculture and forestry has announced a $600,000 support package from government and industry for flood-affected farmers, growers and foresters in the Nelson Tasman region. Speaking while on a visit to the battered region , Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said the government had given the Mayoral Relief Fund $300,000 tagged to the rural sector. The government has also matched $50,000 contributions from Horticulture New Zealand and Federated Farmers for the horticulture and pastoral sectors, he said. The government and Horticulture New Zealand had given $100,000 of it to horticulture sector across the top of the South Island. McClay said it came on top of $100,000 announced last month to support and coordinate recovery efforts. "Many farmers and growers are facing their second clean-up in a fortnight from floods and storm damage," McClay said in a statement. "Rural communities are resilient, but the relentless wet weather conditions have taken a toll. This support is designed to provide meaningful and direct assistance quickly." Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford welcomed the support package, saying it was desperately needed to support recovery efforts and would make a real difference for farming families. "What this $50,000 from the government means is that we can start work almost immediately with diggers, bulldozers and fencers from later this week," he said in a statement. "That's the kind of support these farmers need the most right now. They need boots on the ground, shovels in the dirt, and heavy machinery starting to roll in." Some farms only had minor damage they would be able to fix themselves, but others would need significant help, Langford said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
