Government brain drain explosion

The nation expects its politicians to spin those damned statistics into lies and Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman, has not disappointed with this  highly questionable 'release' claiming credit for National's leadership qualities and tax relief in reversing the country's so-called brain drain.

"We said in our manifesto we'd retain Kiwis and attract overseas Kiwis home - and we are doing just that," Coleman boasts in this delusional statement.

Even discounting the ridiculous notion that politics of any sort would affect the migration patterns of the self-interested Kiwi there are huge holes in Coleman's claim.

For one, there is much dispute about the true extent and significance (or even existence) of the 'brain drain' itself. For example, Statistics New Zealand, the same government-owned entity that supplied the figures to Coleman showing that in May "net annual inflows of permanent and long-term migrants reached their highest levels in two years", has produced its own  myth-busting interpretation of long-term migration flow figures.

"The figures do not support the idea of a 'brain drain', as even though we do lose some, New Zealand has a net gain of skilled people," Statistics NZ says. "The concept of a 'brain exchange' seems to be a better fit to the figures. How these 'brains' are used once in New Zealand (e.g. doctors driving taxis) could, however, be debated."

More importantly, the reasons why New Zealanders are returning home now (or not leaving) are almost certainly based around economics, not politics. New Zealand does not look like such a bad destination when you consider the declining employment opportunities and fraught social arrangements in the crowded, dirty cities common in more populated parts of the world - we have food and water - as financial havoc rages.

If anything, Coleman should be worried about the returning 'brains', who quite possibly might be over-represented by people who have lost their plum jobs pulling pints in a London pub or their roles as chief 'door bitch' outside seedy Sydney clubs and have come back to sign on the dole and live with their mums.

We used to be good at exporting unemployment - what's gone wrong?

But New Zealand is also benefiting from a steady flow of non-indigenous immigrants who recognise the country might be quite a good place to ride out a financial crisis, or your final years.

Many UK retirees, for instance, are heading this way and, thanks to a law change made a couple of years ago, they're bringing their pensions with them to spend the rest of their lives.

 

David Chaplin

 




Pictured: Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman, photo/Rotorua Daily Post