Saturday June 23, 2012
9:16 PM NZT
Attack
on migrants thin on the facts
 |
| John Armstrong is the Herald's chief political commentator |
So much for the theory
that Winston Peters was mellowing into Parliament's version of everyone's favorite,
if somewhat cranky and irascible, uncle.
It was a more familiar
Peters who delivered the leader's address at New Zealand First's annual
convention last Sunday.
The speech was not so
much a dog whistle as a wolf howl for attention. There was certainly no coded
language to decipher.
His pinging of Chinese
immigrants for allegedly sponging off New Zealanders by picking up state-funded
super payments and other entitlements without paying any income tax was
unquestionably populist - so much so that he was almost parodying himself.
Peters cited a young
couple from China being able to "bring in four elderly parents who don't
have to work here in the 10 years before they turn 65, yet they will all
receive full New Zealand Super".
 |
| NZ First leader Winston Peters |
He was unable to offer
any evidence bar hearsay of his claim that 22,000 immigrants nationwide are
allegedly collecting super without having paid any direct tax.
He instead rationalized
his accusation of freeloading by arguing that New Zealanders needed to know all
the facts about superannuation rather than being manipulated by the savings and
insurance industry into believing there was a "crisis" which required
an end to universality in the payment of the state-funded pension.
It all added up to a
lame excuse for an attack on a segment of immigrants who are always an easy
target because they are reluctant to fight back.
Continued below . . .
Continued below . . .
It actually did not add up at all. Peters is the one choosing not to put all the facts on the table, especially major Government policy changes affecting those applying for residency under Immigration New Zealand's family and parent categories.
While Peters rails
against Chinese immigrants supposedly gobbling up the super - but then refuses
to say what he would do about it - the National-led Government has quietly
stolen a march on him.
His line about a migrant
couple bringing four parents to New Zealand is carefully worded. It is
technically correct in referring, if only obliquely, to the requirement that to
be eligible for superannuation, immigrants must have lived in NZ for at least
10 years, five of those since turning 50.
Peters' statement was
instead designed to leave the impression that the elderly parents of immigrants
can simply swan around waiting for the day they turn 65 and the money rolls in.
The reality is that
there is no plonking mum and dad on the next flight out of Beijing once one of
them turns 65.
They effectively have to arrive here before they turn 55 - an age
when they would expect to be working and therefore paying tax.
Full story in the Herald.
Full story in the Herald.
Peter’s Comment
Winston Peters has proved time and again that his greatest skill
lies in stirring up racial hatred to win votes for his party in Parliament.
Fortunately, he struggles to win 5% nationwide and his influence is limited.
Praise to John Armstrong for an excellent expose.
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