The unjust treatment of NZ citizens across the ditch in Australia

Just about every month we read or hear a story about struggling Kiwi citizens living in Australia.  We hear about their plight.  There are stories about those living under bridges, those who've committed crimes being deported and the several hundred thousand NZ citizens in Australia not easily being able to get citizenship.

It's amazing that the majority of Australians don't actually realise the plight of NZ citizens in Australia.

Yes we can work indefinitely.
Yes we can come without trouble.
No we don't require a visa application.  It is automatically granted as soon as we pass through Customs, but please note, it expires the moment you depart the country and a new special category visa (SCV) is issued upon return.

Now, most Kiwi citizens actually come to Australia to work, to earn more money, or in some people's case, such as my own, for a better life and because we love Australia.

So what happens if unfortunately you're made redundant?

Well my friends, the answer is tough bickies.

Now imagine you were a refugee, the welcome mat would be rolled out.  You'd get assisted housing, and you'd be able to claim welfare.  You'd also qualify for permanent residency after two years, and citizenship after four.  You'd be able to vote too.

Kiwi citizens can't vote because there is no pathway to citizenship.

I've touched on this before in previous blogs.  Yes NZ citizens can get employer sponsorship, but what employer in their right mind is going to sponsor a Kiwi citizen when they're already working here?  There is no additional benefit to sponsoring the Kiwi.

So what do Kiwis do when they are made redundant given there is no government assistance for those in need?

How about claiming super?  That's not an option.  The NZ and Australian governments made an agreement that excludes NZ citizens claiming super because it is transferred to NZ but only if you permanently leave the country.  If you're staying in the country you get zip, zilch, nada, nothing.

Will the NZ Government help you out? Ha! Don't make me laugh.  The answer is no.  You're on your own if you are made redundant.

So why didn't you save when you were working?  Well, let's say your wages were so low and exploitative that you couldn't even cover your living costs, let alone save for a rainy day.

In a nutshell, if you're made redundant in Australia there is no option.  Unless you have friends or family willing to help you out you will end up homeless and on the street like so many other Kiwis.

Okay so why can't the Kiwis just go home if they're in this situation?  Let's imagine that you've been made redundant but you're highly skilled and have qualifications so you can pick up work.  Imagine you pick up work but it doesn't start for a few weeks.  Why would you leave Australia when you have work?  Why would you go back to a country that has no work?  So what do you do in the case where you can't pay your rent for a couple of weeks?  You end up on the streets.  You end up homeless.  Literally homeless.  Unless you have friends who can help you.  There are NO SOCIAL SERVICES for NZ citizens in Australia.  There is no temporary back stop.  There is no support.  Nobody cares.  You're on your own.

In addition, if you migrated for the right reasons then you are home.  Australia is your home.  

So why did you not come to Australia with savings?  Oh you did come to Australia with savings but they were eaten up on expenses like bond and paying your bills because your low wage wouldn't cover them.

Not all NZ citizens in Australia who end up falling down are bludgers.  Some are extremely hard working with a total commitment to their future, however you can't control how successful or unsuccessful businesses are.  That is beyond your control, unless you're a senior manager, in which case if you were made redundant you'd no doubt have enough funds behind you to support yourself.

There really does need to be a safety net and some temporary support for NZ citizens and a pathway to citizenship.

I am more than happy to pay thousands of dollars to get Australian citizenship and more than happy to swear allegiance to Australia.  In fact, I already have informally.  Getting sponsorship is tricky, and like the episode of How I Met Your Mother where Robin is facing having to go back to Canada, sponsorship must be in your field.  You cannot get sponsorship outside of it.  It's also rather tricky to pay the $4000 (including employer sponsorship fee) when you're working casual jobs outside of your field and facing the very real prospect that you will be homeless.

It is not fair that refugees can come to Australia without any skills and betray Australia, yet those who pay taxes have zero support and zero rights (in the form of a political voice) when they fall down.

Nobody chooses to fall down.  Nobody chooses to go through a hard time, and nobody willingly chooses to be homeless either.

The majority of Kiwi citizens in Australia who have fallen on hard times aren't asking for much, just basic rights to a safety net when something does happen, and the right to legally be Australian and have voting rights.

If everyone else has it then it's hardly fair that NZ citizens are discriminated against.  It does go against the ANZAC spirit.

Going back to NZ isn't an option for everyone, especially when the NZ citizen that has fallen on hard times has work but temporarily can't pay rent - we're talking between two and four weeks without paying rent.  We're talking about a temporary assistance package, not a long term lifestyle of being on welfare.

This temporary assistance package would be from the time you're made redundant to the time you are first paid from your new job.  It would simply pay your rent directly to your landlord so you do not end up on the street and homeless.

It is time that the Australian and NZ Governments sat down together and talked about the rights, and rather than helping criminals actually focused on those who just need temporary assistance and a pathway to citizenship and therefore voting rights.

It's not fair that other races, if made redundant can qualify for social welfare yet NZ citizens face the prospect of being homeless.  That's not fair and it's not just.  No other race faces being homeless in Australia but NZ citizens do.

If you're made redundant it's have a job and work or be homeless.  Those are the only two options.  I'm going to repeat that.  If an NZ citizen is made redundant in Australia it is find a job immediately or be homeless.  And just to reiterate, saving isn't possible if you were on an exploitative wage before being made redundant.