A piece of wishful thinking in the Herald today.Â
I say so, convinced that the stats are founded on an incomplete picture. When you leave New Zealand, as my family and I Â did recently, you state on a departure card if you are leaving for a period of more or less than one year. If you have a contract with an open-ended term on employment, you may tick one year, but have in mind to stay longer.
How many kiwis are ticking one year but having dragged a family to the other side of the world may be looking to seek permanent residency? After an enormous upheaval a year is a very short period of time to be uprooting a family and moving back.
New Zealand is currently quite a divisive and chaotic place. I believe it has been this way since the weighty swings from the right to left of the political spectrum as demonstrated by this graph at Kiwiblog.
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/02/national_v_labour_from_the_beginning.html
High income earners can get sick of the negativity. If it lingers in memory, it can be tempting to apply for residency or citizenship. I note one of Cactus Kate’s latest posts: Happy Seventh Anniversary to me that contains handy living tips for Westerners in China. I supped quite casually on frogs legs at the behest of a Chinese friend at the weekend. Perhaps it’s time for revenge 🙂
