Tim Dower: Bit of an about-turn on immigration from the PM

Bit of an about-turn on immigration from the Prime Minister. 

Christopher Luxon now says the current numbers are unsustainable, and the Government expects it to slow down. 

And you'd hope so! Nearly 119,000 have poured in over the past year, that's the net gain. 

At the same time, we saw a record net loss of New Zealand citizens: 44,000 went. 

So, overall, the number of people new to the country is actually more than 160,000. 

Our total population has grown nearly 3% in a year, roughly one in every thirty people in the country now, has arrived in the past year. Wow. 

Bear in mind we've had some very wonky years because of COVID. 

That meant only a tiny number of reluctantly approved arrivals and thousands of our own people locked out or having to go through a lottery for a chance of coming home. 

Net migration actually dropped to zero literally overnight in 2020, and stayed there or went negative for the next two years. 

So, a bit of catch-up was only to be expected. 

Needed even, when we heard constant cries for help from the health sector especially during the pandemic. 

The most obvious question when we've got so many more people coming in than leaving is where are they all going to live? 

We can't house the people we've already got, let alone more. 

And the Reserve Bank is getting twitchy about it, citing the immigration numbers as the reason to potentially push interest rates even higher, worrying it'll push up rents and house prices. 

So, credit to Luxon for recognising the issue. 

But he's fallen into the trap of blaming the last lot. Saying the settings went from being way too restrictive to being way too loose.

Okay. You got your shot in, but you're in charge now Mr Luxon. What are you gonna do about it?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.