Those who do not learn the lessons of history – The retirement visa for cash scheme

Labour today released a 10 year old report written in the dying days of the last National Government which demolishes Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman plans to introduce a retirement -visa- for- cash scheme.

“The August 1999 briefing was presented to the then Associate Immigration Minister Lockwood Smith who had to admit that the proposed 1999 retirement visa for cash scheme was unworkable so rejected it,” Labour Immigration spokesperson Pete Hodgson said.

“But now Jonathan Coleman has decided to proceed anyway, even though the risks of the scheme will be the same today as they were 10 years ago.

“These include ‘significant risks’ that visa holders would have to receive at least some of their healthcare in the public system. The possibility of lobby groups forming in response, and the possibility of no health insurance being available were all identified as risks.

“The report estimated that the likely costs to the public health system would be $580,000 per annum (in 1999 dollars or $757,396 in today’s money) for every 100 retirement visa holders. It said that the experience in Australia had been unsatisfactory even though they required the visa holder to transfer A$500,000 to Australia.

“It seems that those who do not learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them,” Pete Hodgson said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media