NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Expats in Oz call for citizen rights

NZ Herald
5 May, 2013 05:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Federal laws outlaw discrimination against people living in Sydney and elsewhere in Australia based on their country of birth but allow it based on their nationality. Photo / Thinkstock

Federal laws outlaw discrimination against people living in Sydney and elsewhere in Australia based on their country of birth but allow it based on their nationality. Photo / Thinkstock

Pressure group wants resident New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders to have access to Govt assistance.

A national campaign is being prepared in Australia to challenge the exclusion of expatriate New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders from welfare and other Government assistance.

The Melbourne-based advocacy group, Voice of the Pacific, formed last year, has forged links with similar organisations in Sydney and Queensland, and will soon take its case directly to the federal Government.

Voice of the Pacific says the bans are racially motivated, and that New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders are being disproportionately denied access to citizenship and welfare relative to other migrant groups.

"This is a human rights issue," secretary Audrey Dropsey said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It will urge law changes to open a pathway for transtasman expatriates to gain residency and citizenship after a "reasonable" waiting period, amendments to anti-discrimination legislation to end discrimination based on nationality, and assistance to enable legal challenges to discriminatory laws and policies.

Support for an end to the rules imposed since February 2001 - including barriers to permanent residency, denial of welfare, social housing, education grants and disability assistance - has been growing within Australia.

Education officials, welfare and community groups and some elements of the federal bureaucracy have advocated change.

But a proposal to the Cabinet to allow residency after eight years has foundered, apparently because of opposition from officials concerned about its possible costs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Although Voice of the Pacific has been helped by Labor MPs, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has remained adamant that the rules will not be relaxed, emphasised by her new national disability insurance scheme.

Expatriates will be required to pay the levy that will fund its implementation, but the NDIS legislation specifically excludes New Zealanders living in Australia on the "non-protected" visas introduced with the 2001 bans.

Although federal laws outlaw discrimination based on country of birth, they allow it on the grounds of nationality, defining post-2001 expatriate New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders as temporary residents regardless of how long they remain in Australia.

State Governments have followed suit, although a series of anti-discrimination lawsuits have been successful and the number of cases now being pursued is growing.

Discover more

Employment

NZ workers feeling pinch of Aussie job losses

06 Jul 05:08 AM
Opinion

Editorial: Expats across Ditch get fair enough deal

05 Feb 04:30 PM
Opinion

Paul Little: Aussies in glass houses are throwing stones

10 Jun 01:35 AM
New Zealand

Oz exodus: Victories against discrimination

15 Jan 04:30 PM

In Queensland, a three-day summit last month of state, local councils and community organisations urged a review of the 2001 rules following violence between Pacific Islanders and Aborigines in Logan, on the Gold Coast.

Educators and welfare groups say the rules are excluding young expatriates from higher education and skills training, and trapping families in unemployment and poverty.

The summit produced a draft plan for a review of the rules, especially access to student loans.

Ms Dropsey said that after more than 10 years it was time for a review, even if the answer was to give access - after a reasonable waiting period - to residency and citizenship for expatriates who had worked and contributed to the community.

She said most New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders found jobs and many brought skills and knowledge that benefited Australia.

Australia would gain by helping to enable their children to gain education, Ms Dropsey said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Campaign for benefits

*A campaign in Australia is set to challenge the exclusion of expatriate New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders from welfare and other government assistance.
*Voice of the Pacific is a Melbourne-based advocacy group which was formed last year.
*They say the New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders are disproportionately denied access to citizenship and welfare relative to other migrant groups.
*Expatriate New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders are temporary residents regardless of how long they remain in Australia.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand|crime

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Wellington

‘Life-changing’: Wellington man back on weight loss drug after Medsafe approval

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Auckland

New Zealander killed by shark in Australia was not wearing shark deterrent device he owned

12 Jul 10:05 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM

The couple were walking home when Mark Kimber sped through an intersection and hit them.

‘Life-changing’: Wellington man back on weight loss drug after Medsafe approval

‘Life-changing’: Wellington man back on weight loss drug after Medsafe approval

12 Jul 11:00 PM
New Zealander killed by shark in Australia was not wearing shark deterrent device he owned

New Zealander killed by shark in Australia was not wearing shark deterrent device he owned

12 Jul 10:05 PM
Deadly volcanic eruption clouds could travel 15km across Auckland - research

Deadly volcanic eruption clouds could travel 15km across Auckland - research

12 Jul 10:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP