Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:641;Page:10979] 
2.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Does the rewrite of the Immigration Act introduced yesterday include measures to ensure that would-be migrants are willing and able to integrate with the rest of society; if not why not? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 The Government shares the member’s determination that migrants should be willing and able to integrate into New Zealand society. We already support that through our settlement strategy and a range of policies that allow us to choose those migrants who can best contribute to New Zealand. 
Peter Brown 
: Has the Minister read any reports regarding the level of public support for the introduction of integration testing for migrants such as the poll conducted by the  
New Zealand Herald  
last week which overwhelmingly supported such a measure; and will the Government now consider a civics education scheme as suggested by New Zealand First? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Yes I am well aware of that poll. I would warrant that of those who said that yes they would like such a test many would disagree on the particular questions they would like included in it. The experience of other countries some not far from here is that such tests are difficult to design and even more difficult to administer. 
Dr Ashraf Choudhary 
: What is the Government doing to support migrants to integrate into New Zealand society? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: The Government is undertaking a range of actions in partnership with migrants around the principle that integration is a two-way street. We inform migrants before they arrive here about living in New Zealand and we follow up that information after they get here with more localised information. We have set up settlement support coordinators throughout the country for migrants to get advice from and to help migrants learn the ropes of Kiwi society. We are working with local and non-governmental agencies businesses and communities all around New Zealand to improve their responsiveness in turn to new migrant communities. 
Keith Locke 
: Does the Minister agree that the Australian Government’s mistreatment of Dr Haneef shows the need for more transparency in immigration cases; and does he agree that the Minister’s Immigration Bill by making secret or classifying a greater array of evidence in immigration cases and by withholding that information from the lawyers for the affected party is a recipe for more mistakes and more denial of due process and natural justice? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am just considering the issue of ministerial responsibility. Would the Minister address the question in terms of his responsibility. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I have no responsibility for the first part of the question and indeed would not comment on the internal politics of a friendly country. In respect of the second part it seems to me that the more information within bounds that is available on a prospective migrant the better the chance is that an appropriate and a sensible decision will be made about the person’s potential entry into New Zealand. 
Peter Brown 
: Noting the answer given to my colleague Mr Choudhary did the findings in the Labour Department report  
Skilled Migrants in New Zealand: A Study of Settlement Outcomes 
 come as a surprise to the Minister given that it indicates that more than 60 percent of migrants have had no contact with an immigration officer since their arrival and that barely 60 percent of them rated the information provided by the Immigration Service as even useful; noting those findings will he now give further consideration to some sort of formal civics education system? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Some important statistics about new migrant settlement include the following: skilled migrants are less than half as likely as a New Zealand - born person to be drawing a benefit or other form of social welfare; over 85 percent of employers of migrants are either “happy” or “very happy” with the outcome; and over 96 percent of migrant surveys state that migrants are either “happy” or “very happy” to be in New Zealand. I think those statistics are compelling evidence that our migration system is working and although not perfect as a result of this bill it will be made even better. 
Dr Ashraf Choudhary 
: What other reports has the Minister seen on settlement? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees regional representative has recently highly praised our settlement and integration approach saying he was impressed by “the clear commitment held by all actors to maintaining the high standards for which New Zealand is known internationally.” That is but one of a number of very positive responses to the Government’s call to action for settlement which has been well received since its launch on 23 July this year. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister aware that several European countries have introduced civics education programmes for want of a better term and that Australia is looking at the idea with some seriousness and that those countries compile various questions; surely if other countries can do it it cannot be too difficult for New Zealand to do? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I have never said that I am opposed to the idea of civics education; indeed our settlement programme already includes elements of that as does our education system. But the complexity here which has been amply demonstrated in other countries is that although people might agree there should be a list of questions for incoming migrants they disagree on what those questions should be. As an Aucklander I would hope that new migrants would support the Blues. That member might disagree with that one.