Government determined to entice expats to try the 'new' NZ

The Government is trying to entice expatriate New Zealanders home with a series of initiatives including a website extolling the "new New Zealand".

The website, to be launched in November, will provide up-to-date information about the country - focusing on employment and lifestyle opportunities - and will connect expats to potential employers and recruiters, thus smoothing their path to return home.

Labour's initiative to encourage expatriates back, announced yesterday by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Immigration Minister Paul Swain, will also include, as a trial, video conference facilities in London for New Zealand employers interviewing expats; ways family and friends can connect expats to information about returning; and the promotion of overseas job expos to expats.

The idea is to provide expats with information about New Zealand and why it is an attractive place to live and to give them the connections they need to return easily.

"Expats have the skills employers are crying out for with unemployment at just 3.7 per cent. It makes sense for the Government to help New Zealand employers connect with expats," said Helen Clark.

National has repeatedly criticised the Government for failing to stem the "brain drain", emphasising that about 600 New Zealanders a week leave to live permanently in Australia and that nearly a quarter of all tertiary-educated New Zealanders live overseas.

National has taken making New Zealand a more attractive choice - by raising living standards and cutting taxes - as one of its election themes.

The concept of encouraging expatriates home was first indicated by Helen Clark during the first sitting of Parliament in February, and a month later Mr Swain said a campaign would soon begin to lure skilled expatriates home.

It is understood that the initiative had been scheduled to be unveiled last month, but the London bombings delayed its release.

The initial focus will be aimed at the 58,000 expats living in the UK, with a subsequent focus on the 355,000 New Zealanders living in Australia.

The Prime Minister said Labour's student loan policy, which will abolish interest on the loans for people living here, was another incentive for expats to return.

The Department of Labour is looking at ways to smooth the process for foreign partners of expats.

National finance spokesman John Key said Labour's initiative would do nothing to stem the flow of Kiwis leaving for better wages and incentives overseas. 

He said the best way to ensure skilled New Zealanders returned, or did not leave, was to provide a tax and social structure that encouraged hard work and getting ahead.

NZ abroad

* More than 460,000 New Zealand-born citizens - or 14 per cent of the NZ-born population - live overseas, the largest proportion of skilled expatriates of all OECD countries.

* About 600 New Zealanders leave each week for Australia.

* Nearly 25 per cent of New Zealanders with tertiary education live overseas.