ACT leader David Seymour speaks to the Indian diaspora at Auckland’s Mahatma Gandhi Centre on Monday. Photo: RNZ / Gaurav Sharma
The ACT Party has confirmed it is opposed to tying work visas to specific employers, including the much-maligned Accredited Employer Work Visa.
ACT leader David Seymour said he was opposed to existing migrant worker regulations during Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at Auckland's Mahatma Gandhi Centre on Monday.
Seymour said ACT would replace the Accredited Employer Work Visa with a demand-pricing system.
"Instead of passing a labour market test or hoping to get on a government-devised list, employers pay a simple levy at the point of sponsoring a migrant," Seymour said.
ACT later confirmed that it opposed the requirement of tying work visas to employers.
Ricardo Menéndez March, immigration spokesperson for the Green Party, shares a similar perspective.
"The Green Party has long called for the decoupling of work visas from single employers," Menéndez March said.
Menéndez March has lobbied for equal working conditions between migrant workers and local workers and has been leading a campaign to reform the immigration system since 2021.
He believes that tying migrants to a single employer increases the potential for exploitation and reduces their confidence in reporting exploitation concerns.
India a priority for ACT, National
The Gandhi Jayanti celebration in Auckland was also attended by National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour's candidate for Maungakiekie, Priyanca Radhakrishnan.
Seymour and Luxon highlighted the significance of India to New Zealand.
"India aligns with more of our democratic values, so our focus should India," Seymour said.
Luxon echoed Seymour's views.
"India is our number one priority," he said.
The national leader had already promised to visit India in his first year as prime minister if elected.
Labour accused of being soft on crime
Luxon and Seymour both accused the government of being soft on crime.
Radhakrishnan defended the government's six-year track record.
However, she agreed that the increase in crime was a cause for concern.
"When I talk to people in retail, they share their fear with me and that's unacceptable," she said.
Radhakrishnan urged the community not to be swayed by the election rhetoric of National or ACT, asserting that her party has implemented effective measures to tackle crime.
"We have initiated measures that work," she said. "Other parties are making announcements that sound good but those will never work."
Radhakrishnan also touched on a potential coalition of National, ACT and New Zealand First.
"A vote for National or ACT is a vote for New Zealand First," Radhakrishnan said.
In response, Luxon accused Labour of engaging in identity politics and dividing New Zealanders.