PM Key supports NZ immigration policy

John Key, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, has supported the Government's immigration policy, arguing that older immigrants pay more through taxes than they receive back in Superannuation.

Yesterday, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters urged the government to take a good look at older immigrants who receive Super despite never having contributing to the programme via taxes.

Telling nearly 200 party members at his party’s yearly meeting in Palmerston North, Mr Peters said the country had the most openhanded superannuation programme on the globe for newly arrived immigrants. A non-Kiwi can arrive in the country at age 55, pay zero direct taxed for ten years, while receiving full Super at the age of 65, said Mr Peters.

Mr Peters gave an example of a young Chinese couple who could invite four elderly parents and, after ten years in New Zealand, would be qualified for free healthcare and full super—funds which local citizens work hard for, he stressed.

Peters added that there were 22,000 older immigrants from nations with no reciprocal retirement agreement with New Zealand. This data came from a senior Chinese member of a research group and represented the Chinese community, he said.