Friends with benefits
New Zealand Listener|June 10-16 2023
Australia's welcome mat for Kiwis won't spark a rush to the departure gate on its own, but we do need to make our own backyard more attractive
PETE MCKENZIE
Friends with benefits

For a brief moment, there was a celebration. A year after a sympathetic Labor government swept to power in Australia, New Zealand's diplomats and politicians found success in their long campaign to secure a reliable path to citizenship for New Zealanders living across the Tasman.

Until the 1990s, New Zealanders arriving in Australia automatically received permanent-resident status and could access most healthcare and welfare services. But those entitlements were progressively weakened and in 2001, the John Howard government removed the safety net. The decision of current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reverse Howard's changes means 380,000 New Zealanders in Australia now have a path to the security and stability they have lacked for decades.

His Kiwi counterpart, Chris Hipkins, could hardly contain his excitement at an Australian citizenship ceremony during a flying visit following the announcement, joking and laughing on stage with Albanese. Hipkins hailed the reforms as the biggest "in a generation" and said he expected they would "make an enormous difference" to relations between the two countries.

His excitement was understandable: political reporter Henry Cooke, writing in the Australian edition of the Guardian, called it "a major win". Joanne Cox, leader of campaign group Oz Kiwi, told Stuff she was "very happy" with the changes. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, of all people, acknowledged it as a victory.

The significance of the achievement could be seen in the Australian government's concern about electoral backlash: Albanese announced the decision on a Saturday morning before Hipkins arrived, in what seems to have been an attempt to minimise news coverage (Dan Tehan, the opposition Liberal Party's immigration spokesperson, was quick to voice concern that the changes might increase pressure on Australian housing and welfare; Australia's Daily Mail warned its readers to "prepare for a Kiwi invasion!").

This story is from the June 10-16 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 10-16 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEW ZEALAND LISTENERView All
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024