Petition Launched

Monday 25 Nov 2002 Press Releases -- Immigration

The ACT party today launched a petition against the recently announced changes to immigration. The new rules require immigrants to have a higher standard of English than that of the average Kiwi.

The petition asks that the new rules be revoked and New Zealand adopt a non-discriminatory immigration criteria. The chief petitioner is Kenneth Wang, number ten on ACT's party list.

Mr Kenneth Wang said today that he had launched the petition because as a well settled New Zealander he regards the unreasonable high-level English test as a betrayal of New Zealand's tolerant tradition.

"The test is discriminatory because only migrants from some countries and not others are required to pass the test," said Mr Wang

"I've been in New Zealand for 17 years and today I run a successful New Zealand business employing four people - I regard myself as a Kiwi. Although I have been educated in New Zealand I am not certain that I would have passed the test.

"This immigration test appears to be a bow down before Mr Peters' racist attacks. The change reveals that Labour, instead of fulfilling its promise of a multicultural society, has simply betrayed those who voted for them, only three months after the election.

"People have been calling me day and night during the last five days, telling me that our government has let us down. I hope this petition will force the government to reconsider its stance on immigration," said Mr Wang.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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