Cutting migrant numbers is likely to be a major topic of discussion during New Zealand First’s coalition negotiations with National and Labour.
However, Employers and Manufacturers Association boss Kim Campbell says any major move to drastically reduce migrant numbers would bring the economy to a “shuddering halt fairly quickly,” Radio New Zealand reports.
Campbell describes New Zealand First’s policy of cutting migrant numbers by 10,000 annually is extreme.
“The fact that immigration could use some recalibration, I don’t think anybody disagrees with that, but just these arbitrary numbers are hard.
“Many of the people coming in are young and energetic and hopefully they will raise our birth rate so the country actually has a possibility to continue to prosper.”
