Immigration Policy Change Likely

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32215, 6 February 1970, Page 1

Immigration Policy Change Likely

New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, February 5.

The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) tonight confirmed that the Government is considering a more liberal immigration policy for New Zealand.

Speaking after the evening adjournment of the first National Party Caucus for 1970, Mr Holyoake said that the Caucus had considered a departmental report on immigration policies. The Prime Minister declined to elaborate. Last year, the Government’s target for assisted immigration from Britain was 3000.

Statistician there was a net outflow of 1026 people from New Zealand in the nine months ended December 31— the third net outflow in succession for comparable periods. Advocates of higher immigration targets argue that this net outflow will reduce, if not eliminate, the inflationary effects of immigration

—effects which depend largely on increased demand for housing. Figures given by the Government Statistician last March show that between 1961 and 1966 the net inward immigration to New Zealand was (consistently above 10,000. ! However, in 1967 and subsequent years, this trend was I reversed.

The Government’s subsidy scheme was extended late in the year to include Americans and Canadians, and the target for the financial year ending next month is now 4250. However, the total lagged behind the target, with a particularly disappointing response to the subsidy scheme under which employers undertook their own recruitment overseas. Liberalisation of the scheme jhas been under review for (some months. The previous (Minister of Immigration, the l late Mr Shand, said last October that the Immigration Department was examining the possibility of giving employers more assistance in interviewing and selecting migrants. Common Argument The most common argument against raising immigration targets—the inflationary effect on the economy of sustained high immigration rates —is felt in Government circles to have less validity at the present time than formerly. According to figures given this week by the Government