Carping Kiwis
• 40 per cent of Kiwis living in Australia are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their financial position.
• 46 per cent describe themselves as poor, struggling or just getting by.
• More than a quarter have encountered discrimination because of their nationality.
• Only 1 per cent see Aussies as "caring, friendly, hospitable people''.
• 40 per cent of Kiwis living in Australia are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their financial position.
• 46 per cent describe themselves as poor, struggling or just getting by.
• More than a quarter have encountered discrimination because of their nationality.
• Only 1 per cent see Aussies as "caring, friendly, hospitable people''.
OK, so now it is official; the 'once strong bond between Australians and New Zealanders is a thing of the past; that is if you are one of the 40% of Kiwis living in Australia who are not living the 'good life.' We should be careful about reading too much into the results of the survey conducted by the highly respectable Monash University. Many New Zealanders are successful in Australia and it must be stated that for those arriving there since 2001 the facts were there for them to see---they were not going to reap the benefits that many other immigrant groups expect, an arrangement willingly signed off by a previous Labour Government in New Zealand (an unpalatable fact for many Labour supporters in NZ!).
However, it is a truth that Kiwis are treated differently and the 'arrangement' needs to be at least revisited or made consistent between the two nations. Aussies arriving in NZ (but remember far less of them are making the reverse journey!) face no such obstacle and other immigrant groups, new to Australia raise their eyebrows in disbelief that such a situation exists. So much they think for the so-called special relationship between NZ and Australia.
Perhaps it is time for many 'Kiwaussies' to return to the 'Land of the Long White Cloud and bring their skills with them. Leave the land that digs its wealth from the earth, the land of extremes and vast distances, the land of unmentionable life forms (No, I'm not talking about Aussies themselves--or am I?) that threaten pain and suffering, even death on a daily basis, the land that once welcomed us with open arms but now spurns us. Come back to New Zealand; bring your new Aussie families and we will make them welcome.
Do we institute a 'level playing field' for new Australian arrivals? I see there is a move to make this so, but perhaps we need to rise above the level of our 'caring' cousins across the Tasman and show them the real meaning of 'family.'
Happy Easter, my ANZAC 'friends.'
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