Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has defended the new test for migrants seeking New Zealand citizenship.
From late next year, citizenship applicants will be quizzed on the responsibilities and privileges of being a citizen, needing 75% of questions correct to pass.
Questions would cover topics including the Bill of Rights Act, certain criminal offences, voting rights, democratic principles and the structure of government.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said yesterday it would ensure people understood - and were committed to - "the values of democratic freedoms" that made New Zealand "wonderful".
But critics have questioned the point of the test.
"It's a solution without a problem," immigration lawyer Pooja Sundar said.
"Are people currently, who are New Zealand citizens, not sharing these values? Is there any data showing that knowing these things makes people a better citizen?"
She wanted to know was meant by the country's values.
"The three coalition parties can't even agree what those values are at the moment, and they're all New Zealanders, and they have the right to be."
While the United States and Australia also had citizenship tests, that was no reason for New Zealand to follow suit, she believed.
Migrant Workers' Association president Anu Kaloti was also sceptical.
"Living a decent, peaceful, law abiding life does not require people to be tested for it," she said.
By the time people were ready for citizenship, they had already been through different tests, multiple times, for various visas, she said.
"They have to provide a certain level of English ... people have to be character checked ... people's health has to be checked."
Luxon told RNZ's Morning Report programme today that New Zealand was just implementing changes seen elsewhere already.
"On balance, it's very similar to what Australia and UK has been doing for years.
"It's probably not a bad thing to remind people that things like freedom of expression, freedom of speech and women having equal rights ... to have them positively affirmed is probably a good thing."
Luxon said he didn't think it would be harmful to skilled migrants seeking citizenship, and it was going to be self-funded.
Food for fuel deal, unemployment
The Prime Minister also stood by the robustness of the 'food for fuel' deal with Singapore.
He recently returned from the country after signing an agreement to ensure the trade of essential goods including fuel and food.
Luxon said unlike other 'best effort' trade deals, this agreement was a guarantee that export controls would not be added.
He also warned that the latest unemployment figures didn't capture the full effects of the war in Iran.
It eased from a decade-high through a mix of more jobs being added and a rise in the number of people not chasing work.
Stats NZ numbers showed the unemployment rate falling to 5.3% in the three months ended March, from 5.4% in the previous quarter.
Luxon said the drop was encouraging and most economists believed the rate had peaked, but conflict would impact growth and inflation.
Fast-track projects and the major events fund should help create jobs, he said.
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz |  |
