McNair Craig: Immigration Amendment Bill — Instructions to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
McNair Craig: Immigration Amendment Bill — Instructions to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:611;Page:8288] 
CRAIG McNAIR (NZ First) 
: 
 It is obvious that the Government has to rely on a huge number of immigrants to keep the country afloat economically. It is a bubble that will burst. It is incredible that the Government is using this massive flow of immigration to prop up the economy. I am proud to be in a party that in Government will make sure that it props up the economy with true and proper economic growth. It will not just use immigration as an excuse because of a failure to keep the economy going in a proper way and a failure to train skill and employ our own New Zealanders. 
In speaking on Part 2 I first want to touch on an amendment put up by my colleague Dail Jones. It states: “To add after the word ‘policy’ on page 4 line 9 the following: Provided that the policy will ensure that no more than a total of 10000 residence visas or residence permits in total are issued per annum.” 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Ha ha! 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: Lianne Dalziel is obviously going to give us her support for that. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: No way! 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: I thought you were Lianne I am so disappointed. 
Dail Jones 
: The honourable Minister. 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: I thank Dail Jones for pulling me up there.I support Dail Jones’ amendment because I believe that the number of new residence permits should be a lot less than it is now. As I said it should be more in the vicinity of 10000—not 45000 plus or minus 5000. It is probably plus as the honourable Minister is nodding. In New Zealand First we believe—and I believe personally—that New Zealand simply cannot keep absorbing those high numbers without them having a serious impact on our health infrastructure our roading infrastructure our schools and universities and our taxi industry. 
Marc Alexander 
: Where’s your evidence? 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: Marc Alexander from United Future asks where my evidence is. I sat in traffic for 2 hours in Auckland the other day. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: You can’t blame immigration for that. 
CRAIG McNAIR 
: I sat in traffic for 2 hours. I think that is pretty much enough evidence that we are bringing in far more people than our roading infrastructure can handle. That is a basic fact. It was not even rush hour; it was about 3.30 p.m. [ 
Interruption 
] I can tell Mr Alexander that I was on the motorway. He comes from a party that wants 60000-plus immigrants in this country. That is what United Future said in its election manifesto. They are nodding their heads. If they are voting for this bill there is obviously a reason. It must mean that they want more immigrants but that is what New Zealand First is absolutely opposed to. 
This bill will not take the weight off those 280 interpreters in the Auckland hospital system; it will not reduce the backlog of traffic on our roads. All it will do is add to that problem. It will continue to put pressure on our schools and universities. We have to do a lot to reverse the taxi driver problem. In my job as a member of Parliament I have had the chance to drive around in a few cabs. Just the other week I had a driver from overseas who was a doctor. He is driving cabs so there are serious problems in that respect. New Zealand First believes that this bill will do absolutely nothing to reverse the problems we face as a country. 
I turn now to new section 10A inserted by clause 6 and the provision in subsection (2): “The question whether or not to issue such an invitation or to revoke such an invitation once issued is a matter for the discretion of the Minister or subject to any special direction given under this Act—