The Government claims it's bringing foreigners into the country to plug the skills shortages across New Zealand.
Basically - jobs that we haven't got the skills for.
What rubbish.
It's time this Government was more honest with Kiwis about immigration.
I think some immigrants are coming into New Zealand and taking jobs from locals.
And here's why:
The latest figures from Statistics NZ show just who has been given 'residency visas' and what their 'occupation' is.
Really - do we desperately need these sorts of skills? And are we really short in these areas?
And remember these are just some of the ones I've chosen.
Here's my top nine for 2015/16.
We brought in:
Are all these people's skills desperately needed in New Zealand - or are they taking jobs that could be filled by New Zealanders?
Some may call me racist or that fancy word for racism - xenophobic - but I'm merely shining the torch on the Government's claims that it's filling jobs where there are genuine skills shortages.
I think we are being misled.
And the proof is in the numbers above.
I also didn't add in the 950 chefs and 99 cooks that entered as permanent residents last year.
Treasury, the Reserve Bank and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce have called for immigration settings to be reviewed and changed.
Of course we need migrants. But really do we need 683 retail managers and 600 café managers?
I reckon this immigration addiction is now the Government's central economic plan - it's a sugar hit that it can't stop sucking - and Kiwis in some areas are paying a high price for that.
We need more truth and more honesty in this debate.
The Government should just tell the truth - it's addicted to filling the country with as many as people as possible to keep things ticking over.
Go on, just say it.
Duncan Garner hosts RadioLIVE Drive 3-6pm weekdays and Story, 7pm on TV3
Newshub.
