The former Immigration Minister returns to politics after 20 years
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Auckland, July 18, 2020
Tuariki Delamare (Picture by Dileepa Fonseka for Stuff)
Former Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere has jointed The Opportunities Party (TOP) as Auckland Central candidate and Spokesperson for Immigration.
Mr Delamere is a former New Zealand First MP and a Cabinet Minister under the first MMP Coalition Government. He held ministerial portfolios including Immigration and Overseas Investment Office.
Since 1999, he has owned and managed his Immigration Consultancy Tuariki Delamere & Associates and the famous Finale Restaurant & Cabaret on Karangahape Road in Auckland CBD.
He was also Political Advisor to Māori Monarch King Tuheitia.
Impressive policies
Mr Delamare said that he chose to join TOP after a break of 20 years because of its impressive policies and the passion of candidates to the Party.
“I was impressed by the enthusiasm, passion, and commitment of the candidates in 2017. This year, I realised that if I was serious about maximising TOP’s chances then I should get off the side-lines and offer myself as a candidate,” he said.
His record and reputation in Parliament was that of fighting for what is right, not what is politically convenient at the time. As Associate Treasurer in 1996, he faced down the National Party over funding for Te Matatini, after discovering that the single biggest cultural event in New Zealand received zero funding from the Government.
Mr Delamere told the then Prime Minister Jim Bolger that he would vote against the Budget, which resulted in Te Matatini receiving $1 million of state funding.
As Immigration Spokesperson for TOP, Mr Delamere brings a wealth of experience to the role as former Immigration Minister and current immigration lawyer.
He said that Delamere New Zealand will always need migrants.
Wrong immigration mix
“Recent governments have continued to get the immigration mix wrong and allowed high numbers of people to migrate to New Zealand who provide no discernible benefit to New Zealand. TOP welcomes immigration policies that will benefit New Zealand but will vigorously oppose immigration policies with no perceivable benefit to the country,” Mr Delamere said.
He has taken aim at the government’s handling of thousands of skilled migrant residence visas sitting in backlog under Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
Many of these applicants have waited a year or longer for a decision, he said.
“The current fiasco of 15,000 skilled migrant residence visa applications just sitting, not being processed is a gross indictment on the Government. This fiasco continues to grow exponentially with every passing day of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is clear that many will be declined and told to return to their home country. The Government needs to be open, transparent, and honest with these 15,000 applicants,” Mr Delamare said.
Quota system squashed
One of his first actions as Immigration Minister was to cancel a quota limit singling out students from China which he considered “racist and discriminatory.”
“China had an imposed quota of 400 students. However, we had many thousands of students from Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand. Why was that? There was no quota for any other country, just China. I immediately cancelled China’s quota because it was racist and discriminatory, and made it open like any other country,” he said.
TOP Leader Geoff Simmons welcomed Delamere as an experienced candidate for the hotly contested Auckland Central electorate, especially following current MP Nikki Kaye’s retirement from politics.
“There is no one like Tuariki Delamere in New Zealand politics, and we are looking forward to the September Election with him beside us. He has acted as an Advisor to our Executive Team for some time now, and we are proud to have him on the team in a public facing role as a candidate,” Mr Simmons said.
Mr Delamare said that he is focused on the survival and prosperity of Auckland Central.
“TOP’s policies offer solutions to tackle today’s problems, many of which are present in my electorate. I am looking forward to once more working for a better, brighter, kinder New Zealand,” he said.
About The Opportunities Party
The vision of The Opportunities Party is to create the greenest economy in the world through science, technology, and innovation. The Party believes in the younger generation regaining access to the housing market, preserving and regenerating New Zealand’s extraordinary environment.
“So, we are once again known internationally as the place talent wants to live. TOP believes that it is time to enshrine our democratic freedoms with a constitution, and to safeguard our independence from foreign influence,” Mr Simmons said.
“The days of an economy based on selling houses to each other, with the profits exported directly to the Australian banks, or where we continue to exploit the environment and watch carbon emissions rise along with the world’s sea levels, have to end,” Mr Delamare said.
