Hokey-pokey

Yes its terrible. Just about every South African I've met has had a family member murdered too. I just can't comprehend it.

pixiewink

to that davros1984

marblep

Yep. Sad but true. And it gives us NZ'ers a wake up call. The stories are horrific. Husbands having their throats slit in front of their children. And sorry? The houses here are a bit draughty??

RobClubley

What a load of old cock!
Has anyone who describes NZ as "third world" even been to a third world country?

This is another example of something I see a lot with immigrants. They think they are somehow superior to the locals and that informs their whole attitude to the place.

lardyl

+1
and a +1 from the Chinese govt who seemed to have rumbled the "100% pure" tautology

shocked kiwi

It's not 3rd world but you do sense that nz is in the shite financially - this fonterra thing is going to cause some trouble. Ever since these free trade agreements nz has become so expensive and one blimmin company (fonterra) can stuff the economy

Assanah

Not all third world countries are that violent. We mustn't substitute one prejudice for another.

With regards to housing are you aware that bad housing here contributes substantially to the rise of infectious diseases in NZ? Infectious diseases are one of the signs of a third world country where too many people live too close together in bad houses - so one can say that there are areas in which NZ does more resemble a third world country than other Western countries. However, I do agree that the opinion is too extreme.

sr71

Yes, shocking life expectancy in NZ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ife_expectancy

Think you'll find that some of the infectious diseases are more related to immigrants bringing them in.

Also just a comment on the roads - I think NZ roads are generally excellent.

Kiwi Ex-pat

Prebble and his lot took all NZ had to offer during the post-WW2 boom years-free education, free and high quality healthcare, cheap housing etc and then sold the nation off for a pittance to monopolists, lowered what were once high standards and then lectured people for being unemployed as successive industries collapsed. His lot should be hanged, drawn and quartered as traitors.

The articles in Stuff is part of a series and some of them make for very sad reading. This one is awful and has the ring of truth to it: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/...ark-phenomenon

TommyLuck

This story isn't all that different to the exploitation of Sub continental and Far Easter Asian immigrants to the UK in the past decade - the terrible story of the winkle pickets who succumbed in Morecambe Bay? Very sad, but one example of many.

Not to mention the stack of Polish people holed up in substandard housing, not big enough for them all to live in, often taking a lower wage, again within the last ten years.

Got to give it to the poles, they don't mind putting a shift in (yes, yes exceptions to every rule, I'm sure) and they've been given lemons and made lemonade in many a UK job.


Next we'll be bleating on about youth unemployment which is ALSO an unsavoury social problem THE WORLD OVER.

Kiwi Ex-pat

Fair points about the UK however you need to understand the historical backdrop of NZ compared to the UK. Inequality was always a hallmark of, particularly, English society, with the greatest strides being made between the 1950s and early 1970s (it's been backwards since). With the exception of the treatment of Maori, this was not always the case in NZ. I don't think comparing the immigration situation with the UK is of much value nor does it diminish the trials and sufferings of immigrants to NZ.

sr71

Not that it makes it better, but as in most countries the exploiters of the immigrants tend to be other immigrants, often of the same nationality.

And the writer mentions decent and high paid jobs are hard to come by, well yes, of course they are for a number of reasons. Language, cultural and communication skills, lack of recognised qualifications etc. Just like I couldn't up sticks and suddenly expect to get a high paid job in say Argentina. It's a fact of life.

Kiwi Ex-pat

As you note, immigrants are vulnerable no matter where they are. Combined with New Zealand's low wage environment (a conscious choice in 1991) and poorer protections for workers (e.g. a high rate of work-related injuries and deaths compared to other developed countries), it all assists the process of exploitation.

NZ's dramatic fall from grace when it comes to standards for workers is well documented.

lardyl

The cynic might say that NZ has this additional income stream based on new migrants coming into the country.
Go on milk the immigrant cash cow - at least that doesn't turn all your whey powder to custard.

rodge

Exactly. An easy measure of standard of living, health, poverty, water quality, general wellbeing of the overall population is Life Expectancy.
If NZ is a third world country, then so is Norway, Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Finland and Germany. And the United Kingdom must be fourth world.

I think maybe there's one or two trolls on the list that have popped over in recent weeks from another forum who's sole purpose is to flood the list with as much negativity as possible, tell only half the story (untruths) and generally cause kaos and detract from an otherwise good resource (ie this forum). That's my opinion for the morning.