Damien Grant on Kiwis leaving for Australia 

Too many bureaucrats is New Zealand’s problem. Plus the waste of taxpayers money, which if spent properly would be far in excess of what was actually needed.

The country is unrecognisable.

i left NZ 11 years ago as a poor disillusioned maori guy with no qualifications, the first job i got here was the same low end job i had back home but paid double the money plus the other benefits with australian income. 11 years later im on six figures with NO qualifications. that would NEVER happen back in NZ. I applied for PR and citizenship 1 and half year ago and have just passed the final step now just waiting for citizenship confirmation. I went home last year and did not like what i saw, the crime is insane.

australian Kiwi here. I prefer NZ but with a young child and the lack of funding for schooling here and extreme decline in education standards plus the sexualisation of curriculum for 4 year olds and up, NZ really is a crazy weird depressing place. My family members in OZ said no such issue at school in OZ so far. I think we should either take this country back soon or create a new country in South ISland and get back to basics

The loss of a young, skilled person is a small tragedy to the future of New Zealand.

There’s a worrying rumour out there that once nurses get that big back pay coming their way soon, many of them will be off to Oz too.

Losing our skilled workers is a huge concern, with the rising crime levels in NZ we are going to struggle to get immigrants into the country to replace those that have left.

The dumbing down of NZ. Maoridom has and is costing the the taxpayer. Separatist health , education, justice, broadcasting, welfare agencies - commissions etc are making a few rich , but many poor.

You may well pay more taxes in Australia but your service delivery is FAR superior to NZ. Roads, infrastructure, healthcare & education , justice. None of which we get in New Zealand. The ardern / hipkins administration has cemented our third world status. Truly embarrassing.

Australia is a little behind on the woke stuff outside of Melbourne at least. I don't think the Albanese government will survive more than a term either. Aussies tend to have a bit more of a spine when it comes to standing up to the government. Ive been holidaying in Queensland over the last few weeks and I'm sad about going back to Wellington. No woke gender ideology or shoehorned bilingualism anywhere, no division, warm weather. My friends and family seem to be doing better here than they ever did in NZ. If the insane left bloc win the upcoming election, I'll seriously consider selling up and making the jump.

I moved to Aussie in 2010 after selling my first business in NZ in my early 30s. Set up another 2 in NZ remotely and used to commute. Exited both just before covid but wouldn't set up another. Dealing with govt during that period was horrendous and the us and them. When I first moved to Aussie, NZ was business friendly, more so than Australia, no more, the climate is negative and the quality of staff is getting worse. Breaks my heart the way NZ has gone my advice to any young business people, pack your bags. NZ is lost, when you succeed you have to suffer the tall poppy syndrome. I have Maori and settler heritage, proud of both but the neo Marxists have taken over.

This is nothing new, people have been going across the ditch for 40+ years. That includes migrants who come here, get citizenship, then move to Australia. The wages and salaries here are too low. Wages are kept low by importing people from third world countries instead of paying staff properly.

I used to be proud to be a New Zealander. Now I'm just embarrassed.

For semi skilled males, Australia is paying 50 60 70% more.

That's exactly what the likes of Halfwit Waititi want

so many think the grass is greener on the other side But after 8 years im heading back to NZ. Australia is no better

Nz has been utterly destroyed by this pathetic labour government.

We all disagreed with what they did when they extended out lockdowns and started spending and spending. "lock down hard, fast and short will lead to the economy recovering quicker" then they proceeded to ignore their own advice, begin to split the country down the centre. Im off soon. Goodbye. Hurry up and start listening to NZ BUSINESS.

There's nothing here for young people... If you are under 40 and skilled, no point in staying here when its now even easier to go to Aussie, they pay more, and your dollar goes further there. If you think NZ has a problem finding skilled workers now, just wait and see how bad its going to get over the next 18months

I left nz 20 years ago. Main reason was the small village mentality. NZ has a tendacy to be very monochrome in thinking and dont allow for out of the box thinkers

The main reason people are leaving NZ is the weather. It's 25 degrees in the Gold Coast today and hasn't rained in 3 months.

I left 6 months ago. NZ is going backwards.

I left NZ for the UK in 97 (with my gf, when i was 24... loved the UK)... now i live in Australia. I'll never return to NZ but i love being a Kiwi. Aussie's bloody awesome man, good money to be made, fantastic weather and beaches. It's a great quality of life over here!.... but go to the UK/Europe first = party town.

I moved to Aussie in 1999, attracted by the lower cost of living and better wages. I would not describe myself as a go-getter or an over-achiever, but I have never been on the dole a day in my life, and I always knew that government dependency would never get me anywhere. I eventually found an opportunity to get some workplace training in a large business process outsourcer (basically a call centre that had large contracts, initially with Telstra, but then with a government department) and that allowed me to earn a solid, inflation-adjusted income with superannuation, annual leave and sickness benefits, something I never had in NZ as I never completed a degree. So, no you don't have to be the cream of the cream to be successful in Australia, you just need to find a niche and be hard working and productive, and you will be rewarded for it. A lot of Kiwis work in my industry, and one of them explained it to me this way "In NZ, you live to work, in Australia you work to live". I think that extra 25-30% of income allows you to plan your life and have what you need, without being constantly burnt out trying to put food on the table. The socialist tax and spend economy in NZ unfortunately allows the average Kiwi to pay tax, but not to spend on themselves, whereas the pollies get to spend all they like, in large measure on themselves, and because the ticket to increasing their income is more tax, there is no limit to how far they will go in that direction. Unfortunately, there is no incentive even for a National government to change that status quo, so while they may tweak a few things at the edges, unless there is radical change, which would mean too many hard decisions that would lose them the votes of the welfare dependents, something that is not ever going to be on the cards, NZ will keep going down the tubes.

Amazing how they all wanted to be here/ get back duing the plandemic.We pay for those nurses through our taxes. A bond for a year once qualified would be good. If you take off overseas then you will have to pay back your loan within 3 years, so others can use the scheme to learn.

Got back in 2015 from Brisbane, only here for sick family. Nickel and dime short term profit over people stuff is rampant. Opportunities go to foreigners because investment in staff was rubbish. Challenges to coming back were being over experienced and expecting fair pay, distracting woke corporate penetration, increased unproductive admin and first in foremost... after tax and working costs (u can't expense) housing petrol power and food are exorbitant. There is no reason to continue because the incentive is a rapidly diminishing carrot that is redefined every 3 years. Minor parties offer change but that's an obvious tactic, the big 2 seem like appolgists but do u want to waste your vote? Argument so painful to be part of this abuse by neglect successive governments

There's nothing wrong with a young NZer going out to see the world, but it is good to have something to offer them so they can someday come back. We cannot simply replace them with people imported from other parts of the world with little historic or cultural connection to NZ.

JABCINDAS DESTROYED NZ. NO INVESTIGATIONS. Average home price in W.A, $400000., and cheaper. Cafe workers, $25 to $33 an hour. Trades on $65 Flat day shift. Do the math

As a health professional, I’d easily make a third more than I do here in NZ

I guess that's why I'm giving act my vote , I don't like much about nz these days, we have too many social engineers and diverse groups. If therd wS a party further away from left I'd look at it.

Australia is no better, believe me. Both heading down the toilet.

I moved to Australia a few years ago, best thing I ever did but due to circumstances beyond my control I had to return to NZ a couple of years ago but I do intend going back. There is absolutely no comparison between Australia & New Zealand. I lived in Melbourne and it is the best place ever, so many good things about it that I could ramble on and on. Overall it feels like life is so much harder here in NZ than it is in Australia & I completely understand why so many thousands of Kiwi's are leaving.

Do they really think Australia is better? I'll be honest...we ain't much improvement. NZ seemed a lot nicer pre-attila the transgender.

this election needs to take the lefties out seriously, government need to help get people into work not have to make them have to jump elsewere to find work its not right.

I'm moving back to Australia to carry-on in the tradie engineering resources sector. Lived in Oz for twenty years. I only came back to little old NZ to care for elderly mother just before the plandemic. Property here is out of my price range so might be outback Australia or Asia.

Back in the day PM Muldoon was asked if he was concerned about Kiwis moving to Australia. He said no, it would raise the average IQ of both countries! Don't know whether that would still be the case but the grass is always greener. Good luck.

Left NZ small town mentality 5 years ago… live in QLD Australia.. beautiful warm weather year round .. own my own place own my own vehicle outright..paid $37 an hour… would NEVER of been able to do this in NZ sadly…it’s an absolutely beautiful country & I love NZ .. Kiwi through & through !! BUT sadly the standard of living in NZ does not compare & never will .. do the maths it’s population based ! BUT NZ will always be home .. & if things get better one day in NZ would love to return. 😊 Not sure what the answer is to make NZ great again ?? 🥴

I buggerd off 25 years ago, now have paid for ; house 2x cars 2 x motorbikes 2x teenagers in private schools dinner out 1x a week and all that on a minimum wage FK NZ the grass IS greener here

When a certain group treat the rest as second class citizens, people take the hint and leave. Nobody wants to be honest about the problem so it won’t be fixed.

A freind of mine is a school departmental head. She has recently lost two teachers to Australia. They are on $20k kiwi more in annual salary.

Why are a lot of people not leaving? Because of the comfort level. But if it continues to get less comfortable (and it will for over 30s) a vast amount of capital value holders will go elsewhere. Not just the bright and potential young wealth creators. It’s sometimes forgotten that the reason for the largest immigration periods to NZ (1840-1910, 1945-1960) were driven by hope for opportunity and freedom from a stagnant social structure. But today look at the falling populations of the Old World; there is a vacuum appearing that will suck in people who are disenfranchised or economically stifled. The migrations have started with the poor and unskilled, but will quickly favour those with more to offer. We are vulnerable to this drain, regardless of where you stand politically and socially on changes to our society. If I keep being labelled an outsider and coloniser, I might just as well be that in a new, more welcoming and favourable country.

“We spend a lot of money to educate these people?” Is that supposed to be a joke? Last time I checked, tertiary education wasn’t free in N.Z my guy. Students spend tens of thousands of dollars on tertiary education in this country only then to be offered jobs that pay crap money compared to other so called first world nations, that’s why they leave. Simple.

Another thought, young people from overseas want to come here, so do a talent swap, nurse for a nurse, etc.That way the world will get a mixture of talent circulating.

Dont worry, Australia isnt great either :D

It's not all sunshine and Sheilas over the ditch. They have serious housing and social issues aswell. All the best to anyone who crosses the ditch. Lots of gangs and flies!

Damien Grant is an Auckland business owner and opinion contributor for Stuff. He wrote...."In the year ending March this year, 52,000 Kiwis left these shores and 28,000 returned. Trend is that those born here do not want to live here; and we can see this in the demographics. Stats NZ has a great little program and one fun bit of analysis is to compare the population by age. I drilled down to 2020 and 2022. The cohort aged in their twenties has fallen by 36,000 between the year of the great lockdown and today. Low productivity, high debt and an under-performing education sector was driving the growing disparity in incomes. If the income gap were to start widening again, migration from New Zealand could also increase materially further. More and more people are heard asking themselves ‘why do I stay?’.

My family and I are one of the few unvaxed Kiwis ,thanks to living in Asia. I am amazed how many people I know in NZ , followed like sheep to be forced by a Stalinist government to have the Vax. There are so many stupid policies all NZ governments have implemented in the past decades , it is no wonder thousands of awake Kiwis are fleeing NZ. The numbers should be in the millions. Kiwis , the best way to vote is with your Feet. GO WHERE YOU ARE TREATED BEST. Expat 1 per center.

As a kiwi living in Australia I would suggest skilled people should look further afield than Aussie - it is not all it's cranked up to be.

the situation is not any better in Australia, just as many commies here

Bro put your phone down with loud speaker on , get away from your head !!!

Jacina-the darling of the radicals made a mess & left for the UN gravy train...

The problem is that many people, including academics and politicians can no longer face unpalatable truths about causes of crime, poverty, division, and anything else that requires honesty. Therefore our solutions are making matters worse - the money is being thrown into solutions that compound the problems

Australian basic exports generates so much more revenue than NZ ,plus a larger land mass and population = more opportunities..!! I moved here 40 years ago but still love nz and the all blacks

My daughter now lives in NZ and can totaly understand why people are leaving there

In 1974 I was part of a group of young Kiwi's who had a farewell dinner and left NZ . In Australia I became rich . NZ system rewards business people poorly . Without prosperous business people there will be no decent growth. Talk of wealth tax , added to very high taxes is more than foolish. I have lived in Asia for the past 12 years . Asians think mostly opposite to NZ'ers. The Asian system rewards Capitalists. NZ does not. Unless NZ has a radical change the way it thinks , the next decade at least, will be one of decline. Expat 1 per center.

Platform listeners are best informed and first to leave the sinking ship

Cripes this is what has happened since the 1840's ...NZers left during the Māori Wars, then the Musket Wars, Then Gold was discovered in Otago.......Dunedin boomed as did Otago.... but demographically GMnt wanted to get more Pakeha to move to Duckland to balance the demographics.......Frozen meat and Freezing works were set up in Otago; with the first Frozen meat coming out of Oamaru for the Mother Country ..........New Zealand's economy out performed Australia's right up until 1971 in terms of income, education, welfare....and then Britain's little Farm got kicked in the guts and Japan's Iron Ore and Coal Mine took off! So Kiwi have been moving all over the place, the strange thing is looking at the Demographics of Māori, North Island ones went through aperiod of moving to Christchurch and Southland for different reasons.... but now masses move to StrayYa

Australias business tax rate is less then New Zealand so the tax thing depends on your situation 25.5% vs New Zealands 28%

"Net migration in 30s" More kiwis in their 30s are leaving than returning So its not just 20 somethings who want to have an OE, the cohort of 30 somethings, the people who are entering the most productive period in their careers are leaving too We're fucked

Hi I like the comment about Ireland pulling it self out of the bog . Here’s my fix for NZ China has a glut of highly train young people offering them a new start in NZ would raise the standing of living with in ten years your economy would explode then maybe you could help those poor buggers from across the ditch to get a Rugby team . Cheers

Get the 450k people not working back to work, get a better tax rate system like Ireland, competitive corporate tax, e-residency like Estonia, make it easier to live and less expensive for people to exist in nz … it’s so dumb that the only thing you work to live for is a house.. nz is very slow.. nz should be beating Australia not just at rugby but heaps of other stuff too.. wake up or ..leave

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Well I think it goes without saying that if/when labour get back in they will take us back 20 steps cos Chippy is already talking about policies he'd change. TBH I'm looking at leaving, I just don't see this country getting to a prosperous place for 20 years or so, that's assuming we hit rock bottom very soon. It'll be a slow rebuild as our best have jumped ship.

Aus and all other western countries have a tax free threshold ,that's why they're going

Your loosing not just skilled workers but the tax base to pay future pensions.

No, NZers have always left. NZ has never been able to keep its best and brightest. The reasons are economic and cultural. And as these factors function badly here they damage mental health. NZ should come with a mental health warning to both it's citizens and potential immigrants.

It’s all the fault of Aussies

I only have one thing to say to New Zealanders leaving for Australia - "Goodbye"!

They are all coming to Australia so they can barrick for the Mighty Wallabies

The vast majority of leaving Kiwis is just the lag being picked up from the pandemic - the normal outflow of younger NZers off on their OE. It is completely false, contrary to Damien Grant's nonsense, that NZers are flocking off because other places are noticeably better. The US, Australia, the UK most of Europe etc., are all suffering significant cost of living increases and widening wealth inequality. And most at higher rates than NZ. There will always be tons of people in their 20s leaving and nothing that the government can do will keep them here when the appeal of traveling before putting down permanent roots is high. The same people will always whinge about NZ but never acknowledge that most places they talk fondly of have higher personal taxes, similar or higher consumption taxes, and wealth or capital gains taxes.

Min wage should be double what is know add 5 percent

To be honest there are a lot of Aussies who are getting pretty angry about the current labor governments immigration policy. They are allowing 650,000 into the country this year which is more than the population of the state of Tasmania (575,000). We are already struggling to provide even basic infrastructure like housing for our existing population without continually adding to the problem. The majority of these people will move into the urban sprawl of cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and I,m pretty sure that they wont come here with the skills that we need to fill existing labour shortfalls. Most will be coming from poorer countries chasing that fabled pot of gold that they have been told exists here. My advice to undecided kiwis is to stay in NZ eventually the tables will turn as it seems to cycle like that with changes of governments. If you do decide that you want to live here take out dual citizenship that way you can still travel freely between both countries, you will remain a kiwi and you wont run the risk of being deported if things happen to go pear shaped.

A great place for New Zealanders to move to at the moment with a Labour Government in office, the other lot never seem to treat Kiwi's well.

Damien nails it

3:28 "Im not so sure we have to worry about AUT journo grads" lovely :)

Don't forget when looking at the effects of 1984+ changes that global interest rates had just gone into a cyclical down turn that lasted 40 years, ending in 2020.. It's easier to look good when finance costs are decreasing every year, it's not going to be easy in the future!

People have been leaving nz for oz for years...and thats got nothing to do with current political climate. Its because Australia is better in most ways...better pay, better weather, less one horse farm towns which make up most of nz. Its just better...

I would have preferred to remain in NZ. It was the 1970's. I had completed my professional training. I wanted to start a family. I could easily afford a mortgage, No mortgage was available, I knew that wages were higher in Australia, but this alone, would not have drawn me. In Australia the institutions were galloping to hand out mortgages. Best of all, I chose a place where I had access to six months duck shooting. (the vegans have since got it banned, so I was holidaying in NZ for the opening weekend). For more than 30 years, I have been running my own businesses. I left NZ, with very little cash and am now worth millions. The weather is far kinder to my health. I used to enjoy N.Zs acceptance of strange people. In NZ I knew Communists, hippies, some of Carmen's drag queen performers, as well as farmers and other sensible people. The variety was quite enjoyable. Most of the time I felt very safe, as there was not a lot of violent crime. There were very adequate long term care facilities for very psychotic people.

Housing should be old day was state avance ,use to pay Quarter of income of wage buy home done have that know ,today like big contration càmp

Mean testing your pension like in Australia,got to much money

More right wing propaganda.

Interesting aye ..yet half of the eligible voters choose this lot 🧐

Why do you always interrupt the people your interviewing so mudding.

why are we bitching about people leaving when the plan is to step up migration here again these people are leaving their countries too but somehow thats okay, low pay but his mates want to lower min wage, renter forever strategy rich peoples go to is we'll sell up and leave threat any time their cushy number is under threat BTW plenty of people are going to be far worse off in Oz as the climate issues get bigger eg no home insurance huge premiums no export pollution income and Australia is now at its max population

Let them go to Australia plenty of young migrants want to come to New Zealand from Asia and eastern Europe and Africa 🌍...South America and the Mexican US border. If a few Anglo Saxon millionaires buggerd off so what!

WANTED ! Supermarket door greeters = work today ! can you salam your kin at the threshold in the appropriate way ? Then your skills are needed. APPLY

If you're a Kiwi and moving to Australia, give Victoriastan a miss, dan's running the state into ruin, any other state BUT Victoria will do.

Don t forget to shut the door when you leave the real heros in the business community are those who stay here.. Aussie becoming more woke then Nz ye gods 🤣

Its because they dig up stuff in aussie and new Zealand does the opposite

Yeah as two full time health care workers we have $750 extra per week over here in Aussie. We actually only had $150 dollars spare in NZ 🫠