No bar on Kiwis

Press, 11 February 1983, Page 15

No bar on Kiwis

, In spite of New Zealanders continuing to cross the Tasman to Australia for a diminishing supply of jobs, there is no sign of an official attempt to stop this movement. “Any trade or population movement barriers between. Australia and New Zealand are absurd,” says the editor-in-chief of the authoritative “Australian Financial Review,” Paedric McGuinness. He predicts that there will be more New Zealanders competing for jobs "because New Zealand has screwed up

its economic policy, and the country’s living standards are much lower than Australia’s. "There is a natural attraction across the Tasman, particularly for people who are well qualified.” Mr McGuinness considers that the ultimate solution to New Zealand’s problems would be a total economic union with Australia. "But the New Zealanders are likely to resist that. The gain to Australia would be in terms of a larger economic unit. There are obvious ad-

vantages in specialisation and in trade. “I must admit that it is not really on, but is more New Zealanders’ fault than the Australians. “The fundamental Australian attitude towards New Zealand is one of benevolent indifference. “There would be no popular support for a proposition to bar free movement across the Tasman. The Government has gone much further than is popularly realised in making it a bit more difficult.”