Aaron Martin: NZ Immigration Law Principal Lawyer on the Government's plan to introduce a citizenship test

The Government's plans to introduce a citizenship test is being labelled as a waste of taxpayer money. 

Applicants would have to answer 20 questions on our history, politics and laws, and get 15 correct to pass.  

The test will be imposed for people seeking New Zealand citizenship from late next year.   

New Zealand Immigration Law Principal Lawyer Aaron Martin told Ryan Bridge the Coalition's just trying to make itself look good ahead of the election. 

He says we've got bigger problems that need to be addressed, rather than a pop quiz in a citizenship test. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Government's introducing a new citizenship test for those looking to
become key. We's going to be rolled out late twenty
twenty seven. It asks questions on topics like voting rights,
principles of democracy, and you need to get seventy five
percent questions right to pass. So not quite as hard
as school. Aaron Martin, principal lawyer at New Zealand Immigration
Law with me this morning. Get a Aaron very right,

(00:22):
So what do you reckon? What's wrong with asking, you know,
should you pay taxes? Free speech? Bit about the treaty,
that sort of thing.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Oh, there's nothing wrong with it. I just think it's
interesting that you've got someone who determines what is the
correct answer, and very clearly is an indication that there
is a correct view. And I'm just astounded that you've
got a party that's all about spending taxpayers money. Wisely,

(00:52):
who's now saying we taxpayers around a bunch of bureaucrates
to come up with a pop quiz. I think we've
got bigger problems in the islands that need to be
addressed rather than the pop quiz on the citizenship test.
Most people come to New Zealand to become citizens because
of these values. So in my view, I think it's

(01:13):
a bit of a beat up in order to try
and look good in the upcoming election.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
How can you have a problem with the questions when
you don't know what they are yet?

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well, in these circumstances, what do you need questions about
these things for?

Speaker 1 (01:27):
People know what to make to make sure? Well? I
know they know why they're coming, but how much do
they know about us?

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, given that they've already been here for about five years.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Or more, it should be easy to answer exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
So in those circumstances, why do we even need to
have the test? If it's that easy, it's going to
mean that everyone's surely going to pass.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
In Australia, they ask things like which state is the
smallest of the mainland states? Tis Many, Victoria, Queensland. I
mean they're pretty harmless, innocuous.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
To school geography tests. I mean, really, what you've got
to ask, what's the value of doing this in the
citizenship application?

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Doesn't it tell you? It tells you, It tells you something,
doesn't aaron?

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Because if you're you know, at school, we all studied
hard because we were invested in passing. We were invested
in getting to a higher level of education. So how
hard can it be to just answer a few questions
and show that you're invested in this country.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
I don't have a problem with that. People have already
invested in this country, that they've come here, that they've
devoted their time, and if certain skills here, that's not
an issue for me. The issue is why on Earth
aught we spending taxpayers money the bureaucrats to come up
with a pop quiz at this point in time when
New Zealand's faced with much bigger problems, and on the

(02:50):
standard that a party that promotes itself on the wise
spend of taxpayers money thinks that this is a great
thing to do at this particular juncture of our history.
Quite frankly, it's a waste of money. It should be
devoted on more important.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Aaron Martin with us this morning, principal lawyer at New
Zealand Immigration Law. Appreciate your time.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to news Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.