During the lead-up to New Zealand’s election the issue of Kiwis leaving the country by the thousands has come to the fore.
The numbers leaving New Zealand has almost doubled from 18,121 in 2004 to 32,676 last year, most heading for Australia’s bigger wage packets.
A NZD$1 million a year scheme introduced in 2004 to entice New Zealanders back home seems to have failed miserably and has been canned by the government.
Employers and Manufacturers Association chief executive Alasdair Thompson said the campaign did not work because the majority of Kiwis in Australia earned far more than they would in New Zealand and had a better lifestyle. Many employers in New Zealand are very concerned about the loss of skilled workers, he said in a press release.
Earlier this week National Party leader John Key challenged the Labour government to let New Zealanders know what they intend to do to address the issue.
“Our figures show a gap of 38 percent in Australia’s favour. However CTU economist Peter Conway says, based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the variation between pay packets, adjusted for the exchange rate and cost of living difference, is now a whopping 49.7 percent,” Mr Key said.
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