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(RNZ)How immigration has been used to win votes in New Zealand elections

Release Date
2026-08-22
Media
RNZ
Summary
New Zealand’s November election has revived political debate over immigration and race. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters faced criticism after telling China-born Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan to “go back to where you’ve come from,” while deputy leader Shane Jones was condemned for describing the India free trade agreement as a “butter chicken tsunami.” Critics see such rhetoric as an attempt to attract voters.

Immigration has repeatedly become an election issue during periods of economic or social anxiety. The 1970s Dawn Raids targeted mainly Pacific overstayers, while the 1987 Immigration Act replaced nationality-based preferences with a merit-based system, contributing to rapid growth in Asian migration. In the 1990s and 2000s, Peters frequently campaigned against high immigration, particularly from Asia, although he maintained that his concern was sustainable migration levels rather than race.

Migration later increased substantially, with annual net migration exceeding 72,500 in 2017. Debate increasingly shifted from whether immigration should be allowed to how many migrants New Zealand could sustainably accommodate. After the pandemic, immigration was expanded to address labour shortages, but migrant exploitation also became a concern.

Today, immigration is not a leading public priority: only 8 percent identified it as a major issue in a recent Ipsos survey, behind cost of living, healthcare, the economy and housing. Meanwhile, 81 percent of New Zealanders believe stronger ties with Asia are important. The article highlights the contrast between the recurring political use of immigration during elections and New Zealand’s increasingly close social and economic relationship with Asia.
Tags
New Zealand

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