Erica Stanford, the National Party spokesperson for Education and Immigration, addressed a public meeting on 13 June in Christchurch, where she discussed pressing issues related to education and immigration in New Zealand.
Addressing the gathering, alongside Dale Stephens, National candidate for Christchurch Central, Stanford expressed concern over the lack of delivery during the six years of the Labour Party’s governance, stating that the country has suffered from a decline in various areas.
Among various concerns Stanford highlighted was the increasing crime rate, “I see dairy owners and small business owners are scared, compelled to barricade themselves and take personal measures for their safety,” she expressed her concern.
“This is not the country I grew up in, and it is not the direction I wish for us to go,” Stanford said.
Its worth noting that according to the latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor, crime / law & order has risen significantly in prominence as an issue, with 40% of New Zealanders identifying it as a key concern – its highest level since tracking began in February 2018.
Stanford also emphasised the importance of understanding how the people living in New Zealand perceive the country in terms of raising a family, living conditions, and employment opportunities.
“We have seen an exodus of people leaving the country. A lot of young, smart and educated people are choosing to leave the country.”
“It’s time to have policies in place to ensure we work on our healthcare system and education system and improve our law and order situation so the country becomes a safe place to live with a thriving economy,” she said.
Drawing attention to the impending workforce shortage, Stanford emphasised the necessity of attracting highly skilled talent to New Zealand.
“By 2040, we will have ten people leaving the workforce for every five entering. So we are going to have a big deficit in the workforce. That’s why we need people to come and work here,” she said.
Stanford also expressed disappointment in the government’s handling of the education sector during and post the pandemic.
“Other countries like Canada, Australia, UK got their borders opened quickly and facilitated faster visa processing for international students. Australia is now back to the levels of pre-pandemic international student enrollments while New Zealand is struggling,” she said.
“Other countries were quick to introduce smart policies and had a focussed approach to get the international students back in the country, but we took far too long to open the border, and our visa processing speeds are still dismal as compared to our competitors.”
Stanford emphasised the value of international students, who contribute not only financially but also through their employment in various sectors.
Stanford said for National Party, it will be a priority to get international students back.
“National will see that we reduce the bureaucracy, time and cost involved in the immigration process. There is a need to streamline the system to cut down the time taken to process the visas, making us competitive with other countries.”
Talking about education, Stanford said that the statistics clearly indicate the inadequacies of the current system, which is failing students, parents, and teachers.
“We have barely got 50 per cent of children going to school regularly, only half are able to meet minimum standards in reading, writing and maths, and New Zealand has just achieved our lowest ever score in an international reading test,” she said.
To address these challenges, Stanford talked about the National Party’s commitment to the “Teaching the Basics Brilliantly” policy, aiming to ensure every child acquires essential skills in reading, writing, and math.
Stanford and Stephens also highlighted the National Party’s commitment to fixing the economy and reducing the cost of living.
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