Kiwi pathway to Australian citizenship safe in upcoming election
New rules giving Kiwis living in Australia a pathway to citizenship look secure, regardless of who wins the upcoming Australian election.
Despite some reservations at the time, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the four-year pathway to get citizenship. The Coalition has told news outlet
AAP
that they have no plans to change it.
That's great news for many Kiwis like Eric Huang who moved to Sydney in 2023 to study law. He's wanting to make Australia his home, but prior to the change would have found it harder to get citizenship.
Huang, who is studying law and working part time, says Australia offers better work and income opportunities.
Although, he says the cost of living is biting in Australia, pointing out that when he came to Sydney, for example, bananas were $2 per kilo cheaper.
He's following the election closely as he wants to live here long term and believes the Coalition offers the best policies.
However, other Kiwis spoken to by RNZ worry about the Coalition winning.
Carol Smail, who moved to Australia in 1980 from Invercargill and has dual citizenship, says she fears Opposition leader Peter Dutton could back track on the promise not to scrap the citizenship pathway for Kiwis.
Smail says she is fearful because Dutton has promised to cut immigration by 100,000 people as a way of taking pressure off housing.
She says that won't be easy to do and the Coalition may be forced to look at Kiwis who haven't got citizenship as a way of making up the numbers.
Australian media
AAP
has reported that the Coalition has said it won't cut the citizenship pathway for New Zealanders.
Smail votes in both countries and said one of the things that worries her is growing inequality and the prospects for indigenous Australians. She says the diminishing of First Nations people in Australia is quite shocking.
Climate change is also something Smail feels isn't being taken seriously by the major parties in Australia.
Both Smail and Huang, however, say while Australian has its problems, they are optimistic about Australia's future and believe it will continue to be a big draw card for Kiwis.
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