The Premium Debate: Aussie brain drain a concern for readers

Job listings in the Bay of Plenty have fallen 15 per cent in a year and there are concerns employers won't be replacing staff. Photo / 123rf

OPINION

Job listings in the Bay of Plenty have fallen 15 per cent in a year on the employment site Seek as more employers don’t replace staff as recessionary pressures begin to bite.

The news comes as companies are sourcing skilled migrants from overseas because they can’t find Kiwis to do the work.

Read the full story: Employers not replacing staff as recession hits while others scramble to find skilled workers

Have your say by going to bayofplentytimes.co.nz or dailypost.co.nz and becoming a Premium subscriber.

Smart move by Australia. They have our workers now they have given them a reason to stay. - Mark Y

Ah yes. Another “brain drain” to Australia. Yawn.

Just like in the 1970s? And 1980s. And 1990s. Yawn.

Some even trot out the ancient “Could the last one leaving turn out the lights”, each one convinced they are the very first person to think of it. A comment first made in the 1970s, when the population was three million, it’s worth noting that our population is now over five million.

Thank goodness the lights were left on.

Kiwis have always travelled the world. Most return. Some do not. That’s the way it is. And will always be.

Meanwhile, people who want to live here flood in. We are approaching record levels.

As was pointed out in the Herald, the OECD has reported that New Zealand is the most popular destination for highly educated immigrants.

Maybe those who keep saying that anyone with any talent or ability is leaving, that only the dregs amongst us are staying, and that only unskilled workers are wanting to come here, could themselves do some upskilling? - Alfred T

Australian government’s new immigration rule for Kiwis is based on value and national interest, whereas Labour policies are based on the Labour party’s self-interest, hence the many U-turns that keep coming. Just look at that the money spent on many projects with very little to show for it. - Albert C

Geographically isolated and economically challenged since the golden years of the 50s and 60s, we have become a country of travellers since easily-affordable air travel occurred in the 80s.

Often Aussie or the UK, have been the destinations of choice, with emigration spikes happening whenever things get tight… and it will happen again. This is natural, currently offset by the record immigration inflow figures we saw yesterday.

I’ve seen the headlines too many times in the Herald over the decades to be concerned. - Marcus H

Hate to say the ability to attract driven and hard-working Kiwis has only just gotten harder after the Aussie visa announcement.

Exodus… it’s already begun. Our local Colts rugby team has lost eight young lads to Aussie for work in the last seven weeks. Our Colts are no more. We are going to become an easy passage to get into Aussie. - Mark S

Chris Hipkins has shot himself in the foot over this deal. No mention of compulsory Medi-care or Superannuation payments or asset testing to see if you qualify for other services. The only winner I see coming out of this deal is Albanese and the Australian government. - David S

- Republished comments may be edited at the editor’s discretion.

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