John MacDonald: It's not just students from India we should be talking about

Is there anything about the Government’s free trade deal with India that anyone likes?

The prime minister and the trade minister love it. Winston Peters doesn’t. And it seems Labour leader Chris Hipkins is coming around to thinking that he doesn’t like it, either.

He’s concerned about the prospect of an unlimited number of Indian students being allowed to come here and work and the impact that could have on the job market.

Which the trade minister is poo-pooing. Because we don’t actually have any limits on the number of students who can come here from anywhere. Not just India.

But I think we should.

I know the trade minister will tell us until he’s blue in the face that this is a trade deal - not an immigration deal. But he’s pushing that one uphill with the likes of Winston Peters, who is picking up on the immigration side of it because there is no shortage of people who love to complain about foreigners “taking over”.

Do you really think NZ First would be making as much of a noise if this was a deal with the UK or the US? I don’t think so. 

So they’re just tapping into some good old-fashioned xenophobia.

That said - since the government announced the deal just before Christmas - whenever I’ve been speaking with young people especially about it, I’ve been surprised how strongly some of them feel about students coming here from other countries.  

And how many of them think there should be limits. Which I agree with, for several reasons.

First of all, students don’t come here with any skills. They come here to get skilled. I know they spend money and it’s great for the tertiary sector because they pay higher fees being international students. But they don’t come here and fill the workforce skill shortages we’re dealing with. 

Secondly, the more students from overseas, the higher the demand for accommodation. Which means student rents going skyward.

What’s more, if we have no limits on the number of students coming here, then that increases the risk of students getting ripped off by employers. It also makes it tougher for domestic students to find the work they need to pay for their studies.

But what do you think?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News talks'b Is.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
There anything here's a question, Is there anything about the
government's free trade deal with India that anyone likes? I mean,
the Prime Minister and the Trade Minister absolutely love it.
Winston Peters doesn't, and it seems Labor Leader Chris Hipkins
is coming around to thinking that he doesn't like it either.

(00:33):
Now he's concerned about the prospect of an unlimited number
of Indian students being allowed to come here and work
and the impact that could have on the job market,
which the Trade Minister is poop poeing. But I think
it's a very valid concern. But not just not just
in regards to students from India, the students from anywhere,

(00:57):
any country, Because I'm sure you've heard the same stories
I have about people coming here to you know, apparently
study not actually being enrolled anywhere to study has happened
in the past, There's been no shortage of stories. It's
happening right now. And it's not just students from India,
students from countries all around the world. You know, in

(01:19):
the countries they're here not necessarily for the reason that
they say they're here, and the reason for that, as
Trade Minister Todd McLay pointed out when he was on
with Mike this morning, is that we don't actually have
any limits on the number of students who can come
here from anywhere, let alone India. Because that's what Winston

(01:43):
Peters has crying about, saying, oh, this trade deal, it
will lead to an unlimited number of students coming here
to study and work. But we don't have any limits
on any countries, students from any countries. But should we
I think we should And that's what I want to
want to dig into today. Now. I know the Trade
Minister will tell us until he's blue in the face

(02:03):
that this is a trade deal, not an immigration dear,
but he's pushing that one uphill with the likes of
Winston Peters, who isn't having a bar of it. I mean,
of course, of course Winston Peters and New Zealand First
are packing up on the immigration side of it, because,
let's face it, there is no shortage of people who
love to complain about you know that in the Inns

(02:26):
Taken over the Place one of the end, the Inns
everywhere running the show here's my question. Do you really
think Winston would be making as much of a noise
if this was a deal with the UK or the US.
I don't think so. So, you know, he's just tapping
into the good old fashioned xenophobic attitude that is still

(02:47):
alive and well in New Zealand. That said, since the
government announced the deal just before Christmas, whenever I've been
talking with young people, especially about it, I've been somewhat
surprised how strongly some of them feel about students coming
here from other countries. So these are people who were
just out of study and also kids who are still
at university, and how many of them think that there

(03:11):
should be limits on the number of students who can
come and work here, which I agree with for several reasons.
First of all, students don't come here with any skills,
do they. I mean, they come here to get skilled,
and I know they spend money, and I know it's
great for the tertiary institutions because they pay higher fees
being international students, but they don't come here and fill

(03:32):
the workforce shortages that we deal with and we face
and we struggle with. Secondly, the more students from overseas
the higher the demand for accommodation, which means what does
that mean? Means student rents going skyward. And another reason
why I think we should have a cap on international
student numbers is what Chris Hopkins is talking about today.

(03:54):
If we have no limits on the number of students
coming here, I'm not just talking India, from any country.
If we have no limits on the number of students
coming here, then that increases the risk of students getting
ripped off by employers so they can pick and choose,
eh swimming in students. It also makes it tougher for

(04:16):
New Zealand students. New Zealand citizens studying at New Zealand
tertiary institutions makes it more difficult, tougher for them to
find the work they need to pay for their studies.
That's what I reckon, But what do you think?

Speaker 1 (04:30):
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