More Kiwis than ever will have an Aussie Xmas

A record number of New Zealanders are fleeing the country under John Key’s watch despite his bold promise when elected that he’d stop the exodus and close the income gap, says Labour MP Darien Fenton.

Latest figures from Statistics New Zealand show that in the November 2011 year, there was a loss of 44,937 New Zealanders across the Tasman. This is the highest-ever recorded loss to Australia.

“It is estimated that almost 110,000 New Zealanders have now left for Australia in the three years since National came to power. We cannot afford to continue to lose our talented workforce and their families across the ditch.

“Many of those leaving are registered as having come from the quake-stricken Canterbury region. It is a real concern that more than a year after the first quake residents are still leaving in droves. Canterbury is vital to our economic success and we must work harder to get the stalled rebuild going.

“These new figures show that our economy is stagnating under National. They show that John Key has failed to come up with a plan to get the country going and that many Kiwis feel they can only get ahead in life if they move to Australia.

“Labour has a plan to build a clean, green and innovative economy that produces good jobs and decent incomes for all Kiwis. Our plan doesn’t involve selling our assets - it’s about giving all New Zealanders the opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families here at home,” said Darien Fenton.