Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Brown Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:642;Page:12428] 
4.  
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Does he stand by his statement: “We must always ensure capable Kiwis get jobs first. Immigration should never substitute foreign for domestic labour because it is cheaper.”; if so why? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 Yes; because it is an important principle and an objective that is set out in immigration work permit policy. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister aware that the Government’s skilled labour policies are being exploited by companies in the communications industry such as Transfield Services and possibly DownerCommspec through the practice of bringing in relatively cheap technicians from countries like the Philippines which is forcing skilled New Zealand telecommunications technicians to receive downward pressure on their wages or alternatively to move offshore; in light of all that would he still assert that our immigration policy should not lead to Kiwis losing their jobs to cheap foreign labour as is apparently happening in this industry? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: In the first place I am aware there are extensive skill shortages in the information and communications technology industry and by far the majority of representations that I receive on that subject are in the direction of desperate companies seeking to hire more workers from whatever source. Further to that I draw the House’s attention to the fact that there are various mechanisms that prevent the undercutting of New Zealand wages by immigrant labour such as the labour market test the need for industry and union agreement to place jobs on the long-term and immediate skills-shortage lists and ensuring that applicants are qualified to undertake any relevant work in New Zealand. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: What reports has the Minister of Immigration seen on the contribution of migrants to the New Zealand labour market? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I have seen a Department of Labour survey which provided good feedback from employers of skilled migrants and shows that 81 percent of employers were impressed with the performance of their skilled migrant staff and that 90 percent of skilled migrants were either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs and lives in New Zealand. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister aware that the general manager of AutoTerminal New Zealand Ltd one of New Zealand’s largest used-car importers has allegedly told an employee that if he had any problems with signing a contract—offering lower pay and worse conditions—the employee would be replaced by someone from the Philippines as the company had “people in the Philippines who are training to do branch managers’ jobs and sales jobs over here to replace anyone who won’t fall into line.”; and would the Minister agree that the ability to blatantly exploit our skilled labour shortages and replace hard-working New Zealanders with cheap foreign labour show that the Minister’s immigration policy is failing to meet expectations? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I am truly shocked that the member has found an allegedly unethical used-car dealer but if he would like to put down a primary question on the matter or write to me about it I would be happy to look into it. 
Peter Brown 
: Would the Minister agree that the ability for employers to bring in cheap foreign labour under the guise of filling our skilled labour shortages when they come at the expense of New Zealanders already filling those jobs—like the examples I have already listed in my supplementary questions—has now created the perverse consequences of employers forcing down wages and even worse forcing those same New Zealanders offshore to get better-paid employment; and can he describe this as being anything other than a complete disaster? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Yes I certainly can. In the last quarter 42 percent of New Zealand firms described difficulty finding unskilled staff and fully one-third of all New Zealand businesses recorded a shortage of skills as their primary constraint to growth. 
Peter Brown 
: Has the Minister personally received any reports of abuses such as those I have just outlined; if so can he tell us what he is doing to address the situation noting his comments that I quoted in my primary question? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: As I outlined to the House the member has not done me the courtesy of providing me in advance with the information he refers to. But there are two industries where those sorts of reports have come to me and where we have taken appropriate action. One is the situation of foreign crews on charter fishing vessels where we have substantially tightened the rules and the other is the seasonal labour industry in horticulture and viticulture where the Government’s new Recognised Seasonal Employer programme is making a huge and positive difference.