downunderpom

Nah. He's just a troll. Check his posts. Every one is negative.

shocked kiwi

Just before there were a few comments saying report this post. But look, heres the thing - in a country of 4 million people where the lifestyle/cost of living was the best of the world as little as 10 years ago - you can't blame people for not liking things the way the are now. It does make you feel like you are being taken over when every business/farm/asset is being bought by foreigners and this land used to be owned by kiwis for kiwis and you knew how lucky and self sufficient you were here. That's what it is I reckon and no one wants big business and pollution and overcrowding like what most other countries have all in the name of 'progress".

Sherlock Holmes

Melbourne is a good example of foreign investment keeping the place afloat.

Many, many buildings are owned by Chinese and have been for at least 20 years.

There are thousands of foreign students attending the universities. They are paying huge amounts for this privilege.

Without this money, there is not enough in the local economy to drive demand sufficiently.

Yes, demand will lead to inflation. But if inflation drops below 2% for long enough, the whole system comes apart.

Grayling

a tad self delusional don't you think?

gcr

Reluctantly, I agree with this. And hypocritically, it is exactly why we moved here.

Unfortunately (for us) a lot of things changed between our EOI and arriving. Life in NZ is definitely tougher now (for many people) than it was even 5 years ago.

However, I think it would be wrong to suggest that immigration (whether it be Asian, European or from anywhere else) is the sole reason for this. But that's a topic for another thread.

Sherlock Holmes

But New Zealand, along with many "western style" economies can no longer support itself. Nor can Australia.

shocked kiwi

Well whatever - do you work for the govt?

shocked kiwi

But why not? How has this happened though?

Sherlock Holmes

Because our economic system, whatever we may think of it, is the one we have.

Rule one of economics. It relies on ever increasing demand. When that demand evaporates at a local level and / or is replaced by an external demand, foreign investment from developing economies, i.e. those with a new and increasing demand, will drive the system.

I'm not saying I like it and I for one like a bit of isolationism but those days are gone.

shocked kiwi

Lets go back to the old days when money was not the most important thing - it was about looking out for each other and doing the right thing - there was no rubbish, crime, school was free, jobs aplenty, free school pools, no kids living in poverty, cheap housing and food - who said that this system was not working and who said that this way of life could be changed?

gcr

The cynical conspiracy theorist in me says that in those days, people were to clever, could think for themselves, and couldn't be controlled like sheep. That's bad for governments.

People were happier and wanted less - that's bad for business.

Robbie2010

Those days never really existed!

Bellasmum

I can't speak for Kiwi and although I don't share his/her views I do understand what they may be saying.

A huge influx of Hong Kong residents arrived overnight in the early 90's prior to it being handed over the China. That was the beginning of a large number of Asian immigrants coming to NZ.

In our part of Auckland we had bus loads of them viewing our sub division at the time and in no time we were the only non Asians in our street.

That changed the face of NZ a great deal and indeed changed the quality of what you could buy here and whenever there is change something is gained and something is lost.

I wonder if Kiwi has been living overseas and returned home to find a very different NZ and is finding that hard to grapple with.

By the way NZ was the land of milk and honey. It was also clean and green and I was lucky to have enjoyed it for much of my life. Britain joining the Common market changed that in the early 70's.

I personally don't see stating facts as being racist at all. There were valid reasons why anyone comes here. They meet the criteria and good on them Most imigrants contribute to NZ in more ways than the economy.

Just one more thing the British and Irish have been coming to NZ since 1840 and many Kiwi's share your heritage. Most of us we don't see you so much as imigrants as we do other ethnicities we may not be so familiar with or connected to.

benhila

It's interesting how far back one is willing to look in order to justify Xenophobia; How about the Maori view of the changes brought about by the pakeha when they landed (uninvited) in the land of milk and honey.

Bellasmum

you just read a Maori view. A factual one at that darlin !