‘NO BENEFIT’ FROM IMMIGRATION

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33191, 3 April 1973, Page 1

‘NO BENEFIT’ FROM IMMIGRATION

Seventy-one per cent of the 84,102 persons in the net migration to New Zealand during the last 11 years were not working, the president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association (Mr J. D. Bull) told the association’s council yesterday.

The figures showed

that manufacturing had received no benefit from past immigration policies, and that persons who were not working were far too high a proportion of migrants, he said.

During the three years to

1972, the net effect of permanent immigration to manufacturing was a loss of 50 workers, Mr Bull said. In the last 10 years, immigration policies had achieved little. Mr Bull said that a deputation from the Manufacturers’ Federation would soon meet the Minister of Immigration (Mr Colman). Submissions The federation had already made submissions to the Government seeking extension to the assisted passage scheme to provide for another 500 actively-engaged migrant workers and their families in the 1973-74 year; furnished transit housing for migrants; and recruiting missions of experienced industry personnel officers, Mr Bull said. “The serious shortage of] labour now developing and iendangering manufacturing ,output, confirms the need for the Government to implement with urgency its election [policy to lift immigration targets,” Mr Bull told the council. “Skilled technicians and tradesmen are desperately required, and preference should be given to the recruitment overseas of those with special skills and experience.”

Other industries

It was of particular concern that of the net migration flow of 84.102 in the last 11 years, 59,767 were not working. Some of these, he said, were children who would become workers in the future.

Of the immigrants who were working, only 6.7 per cent came to manufacturing. A total of 9.7 per cent went to the primary industries, 3.1 per cent to carpentry and relating building work, and 1.2

per cent to professional occupations, Mr Bull said.

In its submissions the Manufacturers’ Federation had said it supported a policy which encouraged the best type of immigrant, regardless of source or race, Mr Bull said.

But it was important that the Government assist migrants to blend into the New Zealand environment without creating social problems.

Immigrant labour for manufacturing had been adversely affected by the limitations of the assisted passage scheme, the proven inadequacies of the sponsored immigration scheme, the housing of migrants on arrival, and the method of recruitment, Mr Bull said.