Clayton Mitchell New Zealand First MP

Finally this blue government has stopped completely and categorically denying that 70,000 in net immigration each year might not be sustainable. But claiming, 'job done' by putting a temporary freeze on the 'parent' migrant category, "to deal with a backlog" and adding 20 points to the 'skilled' migrant requirements, is not going to fix the massive problem they've invested so much time and effort in creating.

They didn't and don't want to admit what every New Zealander can plainly see. But you can only put your fingers in your ears and shake your head going, "La la la la la. I can't hear anything!" for so long. Eventually you have to realise that 70,000 extra people a year is not sustainable .

70,000 extra people in the health system; 70,000 extra people on the roads, 70,000 extra people who need a place to live - and most of them would prefer it to be in Auckland.

70,000 people! After we were shocked earlier this year, when the number was 67,000! It just keeps growing and growing!

The health system can't cope with that many extra people without a huge injection of funds - which they won't give it. Neither can New Zealand's housing stock, our schools, our roads, our police numbers, or very much else. We said it, and the media were less than friendly; eventually the red party realised we're right - they've since adopted half our policies. Even the grass-coloured party has realised we're right.

So now the blue bloods have decided that perhaps immigration policy needs a 'tweak'. They haven't admitted that they've led us into this crisis - they never admit any blue mistakes. The same way they've never admitted the existence of a housing crisis, or their role in creating it. But the electorate knows, and we know that 'politics as usual' from red and blue will be getting a shakeup in 2017.