Immigration Not the Answer to New Zealand’s Woes: PM

New Zealand will reduce immigrant numbers to relieve pressure on housing and infrastructure, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said on Dec. 11. Current net migration stands at 118,000 a year—higher per capita than neighbouring Australia—meaning the country’s population grew by almost 3 percent in the year ending September. Massey University demographer Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley told Radio New Zealand last week that the nation could end the year with the highest net population gain in the OECD. A Productivity Commission report last year highlighted the need for more services and infrastructure to keep pace with migration, but the previous government had not made significant policy changes....