10. Question No. 10—ImmigrationRICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister of ImmigrationQuestion No. 10—Immigration10. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister of Immigration: Does he consider that current immigration policies are fair and equitable towards migrant families?Hon MICHAEL WOOD (Minister of Immigration): Yes I do and in particular I'm pleased recently with the progress that we have made on 2021 Resident Visa which according to the most recent information has provided 121392 people with residency in New Zealand; providing much-needed certainty for those people and their families who are contributing to our country. I'm also very pleased that the first draw under the parent category occurred on 14 November and that will potentially provide a pathway for up to 600 parents to be reunited with their families through that pathway here in New Zealand.Ricardo Menéndez March: What feedback has he received from stakeholders regarding the planned removal of automatic working rights from most partners of temporary visa holders as mentioned in his press release yesterday?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: The proposed changes that I put a press release out about yesterday relate to the work rights for partners—it is important to clarify that the Government has at all points proposed to retain working rights for partners but potentially to change them from being open work rights to work rights that are obtained through the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme. That has been an important change that was put in place in order to ensure that partners had the protection of working for an accredited employer; that we reduced instances of exploitation; and that we ensure that those people would be paid a fair rate which is something that we can ensure through the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme. Some of the concerns and feedback that we received related to whether that had got the balance right in terms of ensuring that partners would have the ability to independently and easily seek work on their own terms—that is the feedback that I have taken on board and that's why we're just taking a little bit more time to streamline and make sure we get that policy right. Ricardo Menéndez March: Does he agree with Dhilum Nightingale—a community lawyer who works with migrant survivors of domestic violence—who called these changes patriarchal and said at a seminar that This new policy is not supportive in my view of the realities and once again allows an abuser to control a victim's immigration status"; if not why not?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: No I don't agree with that statement—in the first instance I note that in a relatively broad-brush way it assumes who is the primary visa holder and who is the partner and that can't always be assumed. Secondly what I would note is that in taking a bit more time to work through this change we are going to make sure that we do address any concerns of that nature. Ricardo Menéndez March: How many if any front-line organisations working with migrant survivors of family violence were consulted prior to the decision to remove the automatic working rights of most partners of temporary work visa holders?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: If I can just re-affirm that the Government at no point has proposed to take away work rights for partners. There has been a proposal to change them to an Accredited Employer Work Visa pathway which will ensure in some respects greater protections for those people. What I can confirm to the member is that I do consult widely—and discuss widely with a range of groups—immigration policy as it is being developed. This is a topic which has been raised with me by a number of those groups in recent weeks. For example I've met with the immigration reference group which has a wide variety of stakeholders—including those who work with these groups and communities and Community Law Centres Aotearoa and I'll continue to work with those groups as I refine this policy and other settings within the immigration system.Ricardo Menéndez March: How many organisations working with migrant survivors of family violence were consulted when the immigration rebalance was being produced?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: That's a very very specific question which the member would need to provide to me and I would be able to—through checking through the records—give a more accurate answer but what I can confirm to him is that I regularly meet with immigration sector stakeholders including those groups who work with vulnerable migrant communities and I've done so as I've been considering this issue. And one of the things—if the Opposition will just pause for a moment—that I would like to reiterate is that one of the ways in which we do take forward immigration policy is to listen and what we've done this week has been to listen to some of those views that have come forward; and we've said we'll spend a few more months taking that on board to make sure that the policy is right. I recognise that the National Party in their supreme arrogance can't understand that but that's the way that we develop policy on this side of the House. Ricardo Menéndez March: Will he commit to extensively seeking and considering feedback from front-line advocates working with migrant survivors of family violence and unions before taking any decision to go ahead with the changes to the rights of partners of temporary visa holders; if not why not?Hon MICHAEL WOOD: As per answers to previous questions what I announced yesterday is that we have been listening to groups within the sector and that is why in fact we have said we'll take a few more months to refine and streamline this policy to make sure that those concerns are taken into account."