Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader

24 June 2013

Speech: Grey Power Waitomo Public Meeting
Venue: Te Kuiti Bowling Club Pavilion
Monday 24 June 2013, 2pm

Race Relations - Cover Up or Compromise

In George Orwell’s novel 1984 there was an organisation called the Ministry of Truth [where another Winston worked].

Oceania’s propaganda ministry was responsible for any necessary falsification of historical events.

New Zealand is in Oceania and by coincidence there are some Orwellian parallels.

Orwell’s Ministry of Truth had three slogans:

1. War is peace
2. Freedom is slavery
3. Ignorance is strength

Despite defending democracy and freedom of speech with thousands of Kiwis lives, the last two slogans are alive in New Zealand.

Some in a new generation have forgotten that freedom of speech is our democratic right. They have difficulty in facing the fact that sometimes the truth is unpalatable.

Being told the facts even though the facts hurt is a part of life, and in recent years there has been a shift from telling people the truth.

George Orwell would have had a field day in New Zealand circa 2013.

We have several Ministrys of Truth – but the most important one is the Media.

Now the media comes in several shapes but with certain characteristics.

1. They are white, educated, socially liberal, often paid by a state owned organisation and very indignant.
2. They are white, educated, socially liberal and work for a media chain that is foreign owned and also very indignant.

Some of these people are setting out to destroy freedom of speech.

The most taboo of subjects are immigration and race relations.

Following a speech in Auckland recently, TVNZ saw fit to promote and broadcast a Q+A programme that included an item about “Winston Peters playing the race card!”

When this was promoted a senior member of my staff contacted the producer of the programme and asked what time Mr Peters should turn up.

The producer said in no uncertain terms that Mr Peters was not welcome because he had been on Q+A the week before over leaks of classified security and intelligence information!

First, a team of indignant white liberals and self-appointed hand maidens of the National Party spent some time throwing mud at New Zealand First.

Then the interviewer prodded and poked Dame Susan Devoy until they got the answer they wanted – that she would keep an eye on Winston Peters!

When she became Race Relations Commissioner others criticised the appointment. New Zealand First did not. We felt she should be given a chance.

We still believe that, but we would ask her to read our speeches and ignore the professionally outraged white liberals and cultural fellow travellers who pollute the landscape and demand the rest of the country pay for their civic amenities!

New Zealand First has a long history of being attacked by those who don’t like our message.

When people seek to curtail free speech alarm bells should start ringing.

This sort of insidious censorship under the guise of the race relations industry has to be stopped in it tracks.

Ordinary Kiwis go about their business mixing freely and living cordially within the context of a now diverse country with many different cultural origins.

The Auckland speech came from research reports and from people who knew what they were talking about i.e. Chinese, who share New Zealand First’s concern.

Thinking and concerned Kiwis are aware of the issues and problems that ill-considered immigration policies are creating – particularly in Auckland.

So risking more wrath from pinky finger pointing, chardonnay drinking, self-appointed experts we will explain what the fuss is about because it affects everyone here, your children and grandchildren who will pay for it.

And the ‘commentariat’ needs to understand that outside the capital beltway no one gives a rat’s derriere what they think. If they wish to look like uninformed idiots we can’t stop them.

Since the late eighties New Zealand has followed open door immigration policies.

The main reasons for it are; to paper over economic failure, replace population loss, provide cheap labour, and prop up consumer demand and economic activity here.

In recent years, the Government has decided this country’s main economic hope is the People’s Republic of China.

You will recall that New Zealand First opposed the free trade deal with China because the deal was weighted heavily in favour of China. That country is not a democracy, and is heavily dependent on very cheap labour, in often unsafe working conditions.

However, New Zealand First has over the years, more clearly than most, expressed its understanding of the difficulties China faces in establishing a modern economy.

New Zealand First is not anti-trade with China.

We are not anti-immigration provided people have the skills New Zealand needs.

But we are anti-special deals, immigrations rorts, crime and prostitution rackets, people trafficking, property speculating, and gaining a full New Zealand pension and other benefits after being here only ten years and often contributing nothing.

China is spending large on its influence around the world and in the South Pacific.

New Zealand has thrown open the door and put out the welcome mat.

It’s all laid out:

• A free trade agreement with China – that works when it suits China.
• Massive investment in New Zealand farms, forests and factories.
• Fast tracked preferential visa schemes for tourists and students.
• Huge speculation in the Auckland housing market.

In short – much is on the block for China.

That was in the Auckland speech when the usual suspects got in a right lather.

So what do they make of these comments:

‘with immigrants and investors swarming to Auckland from parts of the world where property speculation is rife, the recipe is set for a party. Apparently Asians are 40 per cent of buyers in Auckland and all buying three or more houses’ or

‘in general the workers forced to Auckland are signing up to a daily life of motorway gridlock’

Says who? Well one of New Zealand’s most credible economists, Gareth Morgan, in the NZ Herald, June 20.

When the new premier of China took office he said that the biggest challenge his government faced was the level of corruption.

It stands to reason that corruption can be exported.

And there are many opportunities in Auckland for a quick buck.

Look at the Sky City casino deal. Of the original options the Auditor General found Sky City’s to be the least meritorious. Enter John Key, a back room deal, and a government licence to make money.

And what are the industries that feed off gambling dens? Answer, misery and crime.

However, to this Government it’s a great chance to bring in rich Chinese tourists through a half-baked – fast track visa scheme.

All you have to do is be a member of the China Southern Airlines Frequent Flier Club!

One brave immigration official who stood up to the Government on this one said all the international gangsters he’d heard of were members of a frequent fliers club!

And when the rich tourists have finished at the blackjack tables or the pokies there’s another attraction nearby.

The Hong Kong born Chow brothers are thoughtfully providing a fifteen storey brothel for the tourists across the road.

And thanks to our generous student and worker visa schemes – the Chow brothers will be able to provide genuine home grown sex workers!

The facts are stark and unavoidable.

Listen to these quotes:

1) ’25 Brothels are being investigated by Immigration officials for employing migrants as prostitutes’

2) ‘Work visa holders moonlighting in part time sex work...the study also showed that 86% of migrant prostitutes were from Asia’

3) Immigration NZ said ‘no action had been taken against the 25 Brothel owners’

4) ‘Waikato is a hot spot of illegal over stayers, with new statistics putting the region second only to Auckland City for the number being caught here’

5) ‘a destination country for foreign men and women subject to forced labour and to an extent, a source country for underage girls subjected to sex trafficking within the country’

The first three quotes are in articles from Lincoln Tan, a NZ Herald journalist, this month.

The fourth quote is from Fairfax NZ News, Don Adams, and the last quote from none other than US Secretary of State, John Kerry.

What the Ministry of Truth is going to do about his impertinence we have no idea.

Elsewhere there has been a deafening silence about the impact high immigration is having on demand for housing, roading, hospitals, schools and other services.

And there is another flow on effect from our love affair and economic dependence on China.

This brought huge outrage from the new Ministry of Truth!

New Zealand is promoted in China’s media as a great place to move to – especially if you are elderly.

Free pensions, free travel with the SuperGold card and free medical care.

So long suffering taxpayers are paying for New Zealand to become a rest home for many from China.

‘thousands of elderly migrant parents, sponsored by their children under a family reunification scheme, are being left to fend for themselves in New Zealand’

‘there are 22,832 sponsors who are still in the country, but it is not known how many sponsored parents are being left in New Zealand by absent sponsors. As each sponsor could sponsor both parents, the number could be upwards of 5000’

And again where do these words come from?

Those words are from Lincoln Tan this month writing on the subject.

It all stems from that country’s official policy of a married couple being allowed only one child and New Zealand’s parental reunion policy.

That means a couple can bring both sets of parents here under the ‘centre of gravity’ policy.

So, employ one and get the extended family on the health and welfare system.

Last year the number of skilled migrants from China was matched by an equal number of people coming here under family reunion.

50 per cent of New Zealand’s healthcare spending and resources are on people over 65 years.

The waiting lists for elective surgery get longer and longer.

We are all affected by parent reunion migration.

The biggest hits are on New Zealand Superannuation.

A migrant only has to be resident for 10 years, and from age 65, is entitled to full New Zealand Superannuation without any requirement to work.

No other country in the world has a universal pension at this level of generosity.

You spend your lifetime struggling to get the same pension and health entitlements as an immigrant who comes here at age 55 – who may contribute nothing!

We repeat our challenge to the Ministry of Truth. Find one Asian politician from Japan all the way to Turkey who doesn’t think our system is a joke. That is a challenge they have never met.

New Zealand First’s plan is based on the years of residence aged between 20 and 65 years.

Very simply, a person of 10 years residence, like the cases explained will be entitled to roughly a quarter of New Zealand Superannuation.

This directly tackles the unfairness to current and future taxpayers of supporting migrant retirees who may have been resident for as little as 10 years.

Family reunion is a privilege – that has to be granted carefully.

It is simply stating the need for a sensible policy for those migrants over 50 coming here under the parent category.

Life expectancy at 65 is 20 years – that’s equivalent to getting $350,000 from New Zealand Superannuation with no requirement to work! It’s like winning Lotto!

We have an ageing population and a flood of retirees returning from abroad – the last thing we need is to add to it!

New Zealand First’s solution is sensible and sustainable immigration ratios strictly applied.

Recently new Immigration Minister Woodhouse promised to stamp down on immigration labour and market abuse. He solemnly promised that this Government had moved against ‘human trafficking’. So decades after it had started and despite all the Government’s denials he was complimented for showing concern for the human rights degradation so many migrants, mainly women, have suffered in New Zealand. He didn’t promise more resources, so don’t hold your breath.

Of late you have been reading media complaints about recent arrival New Zealanders being treated like second class citizens who can’t access social welfare, health and student benefits in Australia.

The reason you’re not told why is that the apologists are too embarrassed to admit their guilt and the price of an unfocused, inexplicable immigration policy.

Back in the 90s New Zealand First warned that tens of thousands of recent immigrants were using New Zealand residency as a bolt hole to Australia. We were ignored but by 2001 the Australians reacted to New Zealand’s immigration insensitivity as it affected them.

The Aussies slammed the door on our special, easy access relationship, and now hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders in Australia are paying the price.

Hereafter, those disaffected Kiwis in Australia should make their complaint to the Ministry of Truth.

New Zealand First will always help the most vulnerable in our society – the young and the old.

We brought in free medical care for young children and we will do much more.

There is a lot of talk about child poverty.

Our concern is that it is just talk.

Child poverty is caused by family poverty.

There are always people who spend their money unwisely but we know the greatest cause of poverty is unemployment, and inadequate wages.

As Bernard Hickey wrote in yesterday’s Herald on Sunday ‘New Zealand’s real per capita GDP is still 1.3% below 2007. Most of the gains in any economic recovery have gone to the top few per cent.

He wrote further of how in the US recovery the incomes of the top 1% rose over 11%, while the real incomes of the bottom 99% fell 0.4%, which meant the top 1% captured 121% of the recovery’s gains.

Something very similar to that is happening in our country.

The rich get richer and the rest stand still.

The greatest gift that can be given to children in a struggling New Zealand family is a job for a parent –with adequate pay.

And for our senior citizens we know the winter is already cold and harsh.

We tried to get you cheaper winter power – the Government said NO.

We tried to get you free health checks – the Government said NO.

Anything we try to do to help you gets the same response – NO.

If New Zealand First was not around you would get your pension cut – again National has adversely changed the way it is calculated.

Life is not easy for many in this country.

The cost of giving you cheaper power and some free doctor’s visits was less than the Government is spending selling your state assets.

And we will oppose PHARMAC floating whether certain medicines should be restricted to the young. How do you feel about this?

It’s an outrage and you have every right to feel outraged.

The only glimmer of hope on the horizon is New Zealand First.

We will speak out no matter how often the Ministry of Truth tries to shut us up.

We are going beyond the beltway of Wellington to the many towns in this country to speak to real New Zealanders, tell it like it is, and listen to what you think.

We will keep on, keeping on, putting the interests of New Zealanders First. That is our mission.

You have our name on it.

ENDS

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