Prebble slams immigration policy

By AUDREY YOUNG

Act leader Richard Prebble last night attacked immigration policies and accused Helen Clark of "creating the conditions for a New Zealand Le Pen".

"I accuse the Prime Minister of trading in people to make political capital," he said in a speech to the Dunedin Club.

"The Prime Minister has no right to give away future New Zealand citizenship just to have some good foreign press."

He attacked her decision to allow 140 refugees into New Zealand this week from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. He said the genuine Afghani refugees were in Iran and Pakistan - countries which border Afghanistan.

"New Zealand is rewarding those who pay people smugglers and queue- jump by offering them places here."

And judging by the Tampa refugees - brought to New Zealand last year after being rescued at sea by a container ship - they would be "unqualified, uneducated and unemployable".

Mr Prebble said the Government had been reckless in its immigration policies. It had "created all the conditions for a New Zealand Le Pen", he said in reference to the anti-immigration French politician Jean Marie Le Pen who polled second in France's presidential ballot.

"Ordinary people have been ignored. Now immigration is putting up their mortgages."

Mr Prebble predicted that within five years this week's 140 refugees would "become 300" because of family reunification entitlements.

He said former foreign minister Don McKinnon had let 50 Somali refugees into New Zealand to help win a place on the UN Security Council.

"The 50 original refugees have grown to a community of 500. Most of the adult Somalis are still unemployed."

The consequences of the policies were that Australia ended the "Anzac birthright", the right of New Zealanders to live in Australia and receive all the benefits of citizenship.

He said Australia did it because 90 per cent of all refugees let into New Zealand from Vietnam and Cambodia were now living in Sydney and Melbourne.