Martin Tracey: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMartin Tracey: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 27 May 2014. Volume:699;Page:18299. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.TRACEY MARTIN (NZ First) to theMinister of Immigration: What is the Government doing to reduce the inflow of immigrants?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (Minister of Immigration): Talofa lava Mr Speaker. The Government is ensuring that our demand-driven policies deliver the right skills in the right places when they are needed as well as meeting family and humanitarian obligations. I note that this has resulted in a reduction in the number of immigrants gaining residence from more than 51000 when David Cunliffe was immigration Minister to fewer than 39000 last year. I would also be interested in whether that member believes as is implied in the question that the inflow should be reduced further and whether that reduction should come from engineers medical specialists IT experts or the construction workers whom we need to assist with the Canterbury rebuild because that is the practical implication of reducing the inflow further.Tracey Martin: In light of that answer with 147000 unemployed Kiwis why is the Government allowing record numbers of unskilled migrants into New Zealand?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: The question is simply not correct in implying that there are increases in the number of unskilled migrants coming into New Zealand to take jobs. The number of labour market - tested work visa holders has dropped materially through the recessionary period since 2008 and has flat-lined. I reject the question.Tracey Martin: I seek leave to table a Parliamentary Library document showing Immigration New Zealand figures that close to 50 percent of migrants in the 2013-14 year were not identified as skilled workers—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. It was prepared by the Parliamentary Library presumably for the benefit of the member. Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There appears to be none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Tracey Martin: As the Government claims that New Zealand needs more skilled migrants to sustain economic growth why were close to 50 percent of the migrants granted residency last year not identified in the skilled worker category?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: It is important to understand the context of those figures. The Government has as there was under the previous Government a loose target of up to about 150000 over a 3-year period. I think the last 3 years have seen about 123000 residence visas granted so it is below the lower limit of the 3-year target. The balance of those includes the spouses partners and children of skilled migrants the partners of people who are Kiwis coming home having done overseas visits and our humanitarian Pacific and Samoan quota obligations. So it is absolutely appropriate that between 50 and 60 percent of those people gaining residence are skilled and the balance are connected.Tracey Martin: Will the Government cut the numbers of unskilled reunion migrants; if not why not?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: There is no such category as reunion migrants. There are categories for partners and for certain reunifications of family members. Those policy settings are accurate and I have no plans to adjust them.Tracey Martin: Why is the Government ignoring Treasury’s warnings around the impact on housing of 41500 extra people entering New Zealand in the 2014 year?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: I preface the answer to this question by pointing out that in 1999 to 2001 when there was large negative net migration house prices still went up materially particularly in Auckland. The report that the member refers to is a report on the question of the positive impact that immigration has on macroeconomic policy. In respect of housing it said that there was a tension there but that the dominant tension is in supply-side inelasticity—a pointy-headed way of saying that we are not building enough houses. We are fixing that by increasing land supply reducing the consenting barriers and reducing the cost of materials.Tracey Martin: How would the Minister explain to an unemployed worker in PoriruaŌpōtiki or South Auckland why his Government is allowing record numbers of migrant workers into New Zealand?Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE: If there is a record it is the record low in the residence programme particularly in recent years. As I said in an answer to an earlier question there are far fewer numbers being given residence than there were under the previous Government and that is because we have demand-driven policies. Ask any employer in this country about how hard it is to employ a migrant and to ensure that they pass the labour-market test and I think they would say that there are plenty of opportunities for those New Zealanders to get work.