The joint New Zealand and Australia Productivity Commission report of 2012 made a series of recommendations for reforms to correct the inequity for New Zealanders residing long term in Australia. Oz Kiwi is very disappointed that many of those reforms remain uncorrected four years later.

Among the recommendations were that Australia:

• Provide a pathway to the right to vote in Australia for these ‘indefinite temporary’ residents,
• Address the issues faced by a small but growing number of non-Protected SCV holders living long term in Australia, including their access to certain welfare supports,
• Subject to relevant waiting periods or other initial conditions, individuals should have the same rights and obligations as citizens or permanent residents,
• Provide access to student loans for New Zealanders – reciprocal to the situation for Australians in New Zealand [currently now only a very small number of Kiwis who arrived as dependent minors can access student loans].

Read the relevant extracts from the Joint New Zealand and Australian Productivity Commission 2012 Report.