Isn’t it wonderful that the internet never forgets? Here is a little something from two years’ ago when Winston Peters was on the campaign trail and spouting populist mantras in order to win votes.
In the speech reported here he talked about the gap between the facade and the reality, which is very apposite given that the Peters’ facade has now run slap bang into the reality of government and UN pacts. Quote.
[…] In fact Peters says “most of the world is a hell hole” and if immigrants can get to New Zealand and escape their own country then they’ll do everything they can to do so.
“But it’s not a sign of our staggering success,” he said.
“It’s a sign of the lax and loose policies we’ve employed that’s allowed so many people to come here.”
Peters says the “massive immigration influx is distorting all the economic indicators”.
The result is the creation of a “very flattering but misleading impression that New Zealand is an economic success” and miles ahead of other countries, like Australia.
Suggestions New Zealand has a “stunning first-world rockstar economy” are “bulldust”.
The ]National] Government spin is that somehow we can manage a staggering influx of immigrants each year with no cost, “or they say this is a sign of this country’s roaring success because so many people want to come here”.
“That’s a staggering statement,” Peters said. End quote.
Stuff
But this man was happy to sign New Zealand up to the (now) legally binding, non-binding UN Global Pact on Migration.
Cheers, Winston!