NZ Herald Shite Sheet At It Again, Oz exodus: When the dream sours

According to the New Zealand Herald in yet another highly subjective, misleading and myopic article that is so  full of glaringly obvious factual errors that it leaves us to conclude that it is yet again another piece of politically driven spin; which is clearly attempting to transfer the heat away from their own National Party Governments management of the country and the en-mass migration to Australia that its policies and management style are driving. The piece starts:

New Zealander’s caught by Australian laws excluding most from social welfare, higher education and access to permanent residency are increasingly becoming guest workers paying full tax but with few rights.

Australian critics of the policies warn that the nation is creating a permanent underclass of expatriate Kiwis, losing significant human and economic potential while storing up major social problems, including poverty and rising crime rates.

Victoria University senior lecturer Kate McMillan said most New Zealanders might see their access to Australia only as an opportunity – without realising the potential pitfalls.

“How much do people know before they go?” she asked.

Source: Oz exodus: When the dream sours (NZ Herald)

The co-writers, Michael Dickison (a recent graduate of Massey University) and Greg Ansley (who should really stick to Anti Australian rugby stories) make their first joint mistake when they falsely claim that “Australian critics of the policies warn that the nation is creating a permanent underclass of expatriate Kiwis” a claim that we consider false because they fail to name the so called “Australian critics”. This is, we believe, no innocent omission. The simple fact is that they weren’t able to find any “Australian Critics” or at least any that were prepared to go on record.

So in a masterful segue (yeah-right) they then slid, in their own nappy poo, across the page to a comment from a somewhat obscure New Zealand academic, Victoria University senior lecturer Kate McMillan, who according to this pair of journalistic giants reckons that “most New Zealander’s might see their access to Australia only as an opportunity – without realising the potential pitfalls”…..“How much do people know before they go?” 

We here at Lauda Finem think that Kiwis know a shit load, that’s why they leave the likes of feminist scientist and wanker Kate McMillan behind.

But of course the myopic Dickison & Ansley didn’t bother exploring McMillans particular claim, after all they could have tried contacting a few Kiwi’s resident here in Australia or even those remaining in New Zealand, who might have been considering migrating. One such person, Matthew Fraher, was in fact known to at least one of the pair: a gentleman who Michael Dickison, had in fact centered a story on only two days prior.

In that piece it appears that Michael “Dickhead” Dickison may have contradicted himself, or at least his minor academic, Kate McMillan’s theory that ” most New Zealander’s might see their access to Australia only as an opportunity – without realising the potential pitfalls.”…was Dickison aware of this, his own, glaring omission?

Anyway according to Mr Fraher, who has in the past lived in Australia for an extended period and additionally on this occasion, for good reason, appears to have done his homework;

“When I go to Australia I’ll be paying back $3000 a year.

“They’re actually making an incentive to leave the country.

“If anyone thinks that’s sensible or good policy, their head’s not right.”

Source: Student loan debtor: I’m better off in Australia (NZ Herald)

Well done to Mr Fraher , he has certainly seen Australia as an opportunity, an opportunity to escape his debts or at least an opportunity to only be required to pay back an annual minimum.

Mr Fraher is also right on the money with his claim that not all is right in his country of birth, there are more than a few “heads” that are “not right” and most of those “heads” are attached to the shoulders of bent politicians and lazy and or bent  journalists.

In fact, as New Zealand journalists, is it not Dickison and Ansley’s  job to focus on New Zealand problems? Investigating real stories such as that of Mr Fraher’s allegations, you know stories such as whats really behind the exodus of all these Kiwis from their so-called GOD-ZONE to Australia, a figure that at last count had reached the grand total of 51000 per annum; the population of an entire NZ city. So Why aren’t they focused on the real issues in New Zealand.

Well its simple really, there are two factors. The first is that their employer, the New Zealand Herald like to piss in the pockets of Kiwi politicians, especially the bent National Party politicians, that’s made very clear in the case of Dickisons reporting on Mr Fraher’s story and then of course there’s the small problem they’ve got with the NZ Police, the obvious lack of Parliamentary inquiries, Royal Commissions and of course the non existence of an effective ICAC….We wonder who assigned Dickison the job of writing this pro-govt shit?

The second reason?  Well there’s always the inherent possibility that perhaps they’re just two fucking lazy pricks with no possibility of getting a job on a real newspaper, if one in fact still exists in New Zealand. Dickison & Ansley continue by quoting minor academic Kate McMillan:

Most Kiwis in Australia have no safety nets in case of injury or misfortune. They have little chance of gaining full rights or citizenship however long they might live there.

Dr McMillan said children who moved to Australia at a young age were among those worst affected.

“The laws have changed a lot in relation to them. They’re very much the ones who are caught out.”

Source: Oz exodus: When the dream sours (NZ Herald)

What they don’t provide however is any evidence of Ms McMillan’s claims, given her so called research surely she’s produced a paper or two that Dickison & Ansley could have pointed their readers too? They continue with Macmillan’s fanciful ideas:

She said there should be more of a public debate about having a single economic market with Australia if there were going to be such inconsistencies and disadvantages.

Source: Oz exodus: When the dream sours (NZ Herald)

Mc Millan’s suggestion that there needs to be more debate is indeed right, but the debate she wants just isn’t going to happen until New Zealand starts pulling its weight financially and New Zealand desperately needs to maintain the existing CER markets for its own benefit.

It was after-all the NZ Governments own reluctance to share the financial burden of assisting distressed ex-pat Kiwis in Australia that prompted the Howard Government to change the laws in the first place. This particular form of Kiwi Govt self interested belligerence presents elsewhere in the relationship between two countries;

The New Zealand Government has traditionally wanted to know all that Australia knows, although they have not always been equally frank in telling Canberra what they propose to do.

Source: NZ: Embracing and resisting Australia (Lowy Institute)

The debate that should and could happen is one within New Zealand itself were Kiwi’s decide, once and for all, whether or not they are going to pull their weight and contribute equitably to the support of their countrymen, who are not Australian citizens, but temporary residents in a foreign country.

The New Zealand Herald’s numnuts dynamic duo then turn to a New Zealand opposition spokesperson, Phil Goff, for comment:

Washed up has-been Phil Goff MP

Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman, Phil Goff, said the issue was about long-term residents who were stuck in permanent second-class status.

“There’s an increasing number of people who, for all intents and purposes, can be regarded as Australian, because they’ve made a permanent commitment and their kids have grown up thinking they’re Australian.”

But – unlike Australians in New Zealand – they remained unable to vote, and barred from public benefits.

“It’s absolutely one-sided,” he said.

Source: Oz exodus: When the dream sours (NZ Herald)

The Herald’s readers are probably, however, blissfully unaware that Phil Goff (a corrupt New Zealand Labour Party has-been politician) had in fact played at being a cabinet Minister in one of the government teams that repeatedly refused the Howard administrations demands for a larger and more equitable slice of cash so that the bilateral agreement for supporting Kiwis claiming welfare benefits in Australia could continue unchanged.

Remember, there are approx 500’000 Kiwi’s in Australia and only approx 50’000 Australians in New Zealand, the average rate of unemployment and citizens of either country serving prison terms in their respective host country is also disparate. We would suggest that Mr Goof’s claim that “It’s absolutely one-sided,” is accurate – yeah right. The claim that the relationship is one sided is indeed true but Mr Goof has for his own politically motivated reasons lied about who has actually been the beneficiary,  but he has of course told bigger lies before now.

Its not the NZ govt that’s had to foot the bill for its absent globe trotting Australia bound citizenry…..far from it, the NZ Govt have been reaping the benefits, both political and fiscal, of both the unemployed and criminal component of New Zealand’s woe’s pissing off only to arrive on Australian shores for more than two decades. Mr Goof may fool his own naive constituents and the Kiwi press but he will never fool Australians:

A conga line of Kiwi criminals convicted of manslaughter, rape, armed robbery, kidnapping and fraud has been waved into Australia, the The Sunday Mail, has revealed. They include………

Source: NZ crims run amok in Australia (Brisbane times)

The Herald then goes on to claim:

The Australian Government has been told the rules introduced in 2001 run counter to concepts of equity and its policy on multiculturalism, and the exclusion of New Zealanders from some state programmes has been defeated by anti-discrimination suits.

New Zealand and Australian critics of the policies further claim that by targeting Kiwis on the basis of nationality, Australia has breached important international treaties on human rights and discrimination.

Source: Oz exodus: When the dream sours (NZ Herald)

The pair, true to form, of course fail to cite the alleged “anti-discrimination suits”, instead quickly, and again conveniently, changing the subject; citing the case of a Kiwi bloke in North Queensland:

The repercussions are felt by Kiwis everyday. Gregg Harris, who has worked in Port Douglas, north Queensland, for almost five years, injured his ankle in December while helping a friend fix a fence.

He will be off work for almost seven weeks, but he has been unable to get any hardship assistance – or even his Australian superannuation.

Source: Oz exodus: When the dream sours (NZ Herald)

We would like to advise our readers that fully credentialed Australian citizens are also barred from accessing their superannuation accounts until retirement age, with only two exceptions. Those exceptions are on the grounds of extreme hardship and or that the account holder intends leaving Australia on permanent a basis.  New Zealander’s resident in Australia are equally entitled to access their compulsory superannuation funds in the above circumstances. So one can only assume that the Heralds source has 1.been misinformed, 2. does not intend leaving Australia permanently, 3. Has not been able to satisfactorily evidence extreme hardship or the fact that they intend leaving the country permanently, 4. has not applied under the extreme hardship provisions.

The Herald continues:

Australia, supported by its Human Rights Commission, denies the allegations of legal discrimination and maintains that the 2001 changes ended preferential treatment for New Zealanders and ensured all migrants were treated equally.

It also says permanent residency is available to Kiwis, although the difficulties of shifting from the “non-protected” Special Category Visas that came into force in 2001 weigh heavily against most expats.

Moves to change the 2001 rules continue to be stonewalled by the federal Government and diplomatic attempts to influence Canberra appear to have run out of steam, despite efforts by officials on both sides of the Tasman to find solutions.

With both major parties in Australia sharing a common view, no interest in the issue by the media there, and increasing economic pressures, any early relief for the expatriate NZ community is unlikely.

The large numbers of New Zealanders recruited by Australian companies to fill gaps in the skilled workforce, and by others moving in the hope of making a better life across the Tasman, will only deepen the dilemma.

Source: Oz exodus: When the dream sours (NZ Herald)

There are many good reasons why Australia has taken its position in reducing the preferential entitlements of Kiwi’s. Firstly, as we have already pointed out, the New Zealand Government has consistently refused to share in the significant financial burden its citizens impose on the commonwealth of Australia. Then of course there is the fact that other foreign nationals, who have been granted temporary residency, and of course the thousands of permanent migrants who have never enjoyed the same access to welfare entitlements that New Zealander’s enjoyed, because of  a paricular bilateral funding model…….A funding model that the New Zealand government, in the case of certain Kiwi entitlements, caused to collapse.

Australian political parties share a common view on this issue for one reason, and its a very good one; Both major parties in New Zealand have also shared a common view, they’ve consistently refused to consider sharing the welfare costs associated with their citizens en-mass flight to Australia.

New Zealander’s will continue to flee their homeland no matter what crap the New Zealand Herald and its half-arsed journalists print. The reasons why Kiwi’s are leaving are many, varied and often have nothing to do with their economic status.  The fact that New Zealand’s media refuses to do its job in investigating the genuine reasons behind the exodus will only ever, if anything, contribute to an increase in that particular migratory trend.

There are however a few Australians, that have contributed to the problem, who should bow their heads in shame. The Australian citizens and institutions that hold shares in APN and continue to allow its Australian boards sanctioning of the New Zealand Heralds printing of myopic misleading bullshit that serves no purpose other than maintaining profits with their desperate attempt to increase the circulation of their New Zealand masthead turned shite sheet tabloid…..and even in pursuit of which they’ve proved to be very short sighted.

Why not go after the real stories of whats wrong in New Zealand, focus on your own politicians, their corruption and spin and stop serving your readers with horseshit packaged as news; if you do as we suggest perhaps the paper will actually have a chance of surviving another decade.

Remember folks, Jetstar fly’s non stop from most Australian eastern seaboard cities to all of New Zealand’s international gateways at least once a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year from as little as $169 (one-way/off peak) and according to the NZ Labour Party’s Phil Goff you can claim a Kiwi unemployment benefit on arrival in New Zealand. So how about it? No…not an option you’d even consider? We didn’t think so, and if you’re honest it wasn’t just our suggestion that you fly Jetstar was it now!

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