Post #2501749

2026-05-13 22:57 UTC

NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced yesterday that &quot;immigration was an emerging political issue...&quot; But Paul Spoonley says Luxon is offering a solution for a problem which doesn&#39;t exist. Our points-based immigration system is discerning, we don&#39;t have waves of refugees knocking at our door and the majority of Kiwis view immigration positively. Prof Spoonley politely suggests that the PM is reacting to race baiting from Act and NZFirst, &quot;both of whom seem to want to make immigration a central issue for the coming election, but also to see immigration as somehow being divisive and an issue for New Zealanders. I don&#39;t think it is.&quot; Once again, the tail wags the dog, the Overton window moves another notch to the right and Luxon&#39;s inability to lead is on full display. https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/solution-problem-doesnt-exist-demographer-rnz #NZPol #Immigration

Replies (4)

@bluewave_kiwi@mastodon.nz 2026-05-13 23:55

@BobLefridge@mastodon.nz Act and national are trying to import rightwing culture war and immigrant blaming to Aotearoa, evil bastards.

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@Antigrav@mastodon.nz 2026-05-14 05:48

@BobLefridge@mastodon.nz , in want of any productive ideas of their own and getting more desperate they're following the presently worst example, the US. No surprises there.

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@Iveyline@mastodon.nz 2026-05-14 05:58

@BobLefridge@mastodon.nz We don't have an immigration issue. We have a populist politician issue. Without immigrants Aotearoa/NZ would decline. Who keeps the NZ health system going? Immigrants. Who run many of our small businesses? Immigrants. Who provide labour for our agricultural and horticultural sector? Immigrants. Who contribute so much diversity to our hospitality sector? Immigrants. The list goes on. People too often blame immigrants for their own shortcomings.

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@zl2tod@mastodon.online 2026-05-14 07:00

@BobLefridge@mastodon.nz If the New Zealand economy was rebalanced to favour the people at the bottom rather than the corporations at the top the issue would likewise be inverted, and economic growth would actually happen rather than the rebranded inflation that we see now. We need to raise taxes on the rich and huge corporations and plow that money back into education and services while making life easier for the people. Economic growth is a bottom up thing.

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