Make NZ passports ten years to get (to buy, wages)

[BeauCharles]

Originally Posted by nzrugby

OK to be fair both NZ and Aus changed their laws to stop women arriving having a Aussie or Kiwi child and then arguing that it would be most unfair to toss them as citizens out of the country.

Hell I cannot see how a child conceived in Mexico from Mexican parents can be an American just because they were born in the USA.

Neither can I. Its some antiquated, misinterpreted constitutional amendment from the 19th Century designed to protect former slaves after the Civil War.

[corsa71]

Originally Posted by MsAnnThrope

As a born NZer living in Aus for over half my life, I loathe everything about NZ.

I am embarrassed to be one, have no national pride whatsoever. The entire place has such a chip on it's shoulder it makes me cringe. I hate it when kiwis come up to me and act like we have something in common - we don't. They try to create some false sense of "mateship" that was never there when I actually lived in NZ.

Kiwis and Australians are profoundly different. Kiwis often hate Australians for no other reason than they believe a ridiculous stereotype...doesn't stop them trying to come over and bludge when they want a better standard of living though.

And NZ got so much better MsAnny left

[Djuna]

Originally Posted by MsAnnThrope

As a born NZer living in Aus for over half my life, I loathe everything about NZ.

I am embarrassed to be one, have no national pride whatsoever. The entire place has such a chip on it's shoulder it makes me cringe. I hate it when kiwis come up to me and act like we have something in common - we don't. They try to create some false sense of "mateship" that was never there when I actually lived in NZ.

Kiwis and Australians are profoundly different. Kiwis often hate Australians for no other reason than they believe a ridiculous stereotype...doesn't stop them trying to come over and bludge when they want a better standard of living though.

I can relate to some of this. I lived in NZ all my life until I was 39 years old. I went to Australia to do a nursing contract and although I had been to Australia on holiday before, I never realised how much of a higher standard of living they enjoyed. I went back home and started working again. My next pay reflected the pittance I was remunerated and I went back to Australia and stayed there. I have no pride in being a kiwi. I am embarrassed about our accent, our somewhat parochial attitude, our hatred of Americans for no real reason, our expensive standard of living, the list goes on. I can't stand the welfare mentality and the elevation of all things Maori to the detriment of the rest of New Zealanders. I tell people here "yeah NZ is a pretty place for a holiday and that's about it".

I will never go back there to live and work. Ever.

Although I live in the US now (thanks hubby), I still hold Australia in the highest esteem. My lifestyle and state of mind was vastly improved and I will always thank Australia for saving me from the pit that NZ has become.

[Joe90]

^^^

Hatred of Americans? I have to wonder what sort of people you were mixing with in NZ.

[minibrings]

Originally Posted by Djuna

I can relate to some of this. I lived in NZ all my life until I was 39 years old. I went to Australia to do a nursing contract and although I had been to Australia on holiday before, I never realised how much of a higher standard of living they enjoyed. I went back home and started working again. My next pay reflected the pittance I was remunerated and I went back to Australia and stayed there. I have no pride in being a kiwi. I am embarrassed about our accent, our somewhat parochial attitude, our hatred of Americans for no real reason, our expensive standard of living, the list goes on. I can't stand the welfare mentality and the elevation of all things Maori to the detriment of the rest of New Zealanders. I tell people here "yeah NZ is a pretty place for a holiday and that's about it".

I will never go back there to live and work. Ever.

Although I live in the US now (thanks hubby), I still hold Australia in the highest esteem. My lifestyle and state of mind was vastly improved and I will always thank Australia for saving me from the pit that NZ has become.

This reminds me of my last trip to Auckland. I LOVED Auckland. loved rotorua.
Had lots of bites to my resume. Got feedback on salary. Checked out real estate prices (Grey Lynn).. And decided I could not afford to live in NZ. The beautiful scenery wasnt enough, i could earn more in Oz and vacation in NZ.

[Djuna]

Originally Posted by Joe90

^^^

Hatred of Americans? I have to wonder what sort of people you were mixing with in NZ.

There is a very strong anti-American sentiment in NZ. It started after NZ became nuclear free. I haven't lived in NZ for over 8 years now so things may have changed.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by Djuna

I can relate to some of this. I lived in NZ all my life until I was 39 years old. I went to Australia to do a nursing contract and although I had been to Australia on holiday before, I never realised how much of a higher standard of living they enjoyed. I went back home and started working again. My next pay reflected the pittance I was remunerated and I went back to Australia and stayed there. I have no pride in being a kiwi. I am embarrassed about our accent, our somewhat parochial attitude, our hatred of Americans for no real reason, our expensive standard of living, the list goes on. I can't stand the welfare mentality and the elevation of all things Maori to the detriment of the rest of New Zealanders. I tell people here "yeah NZ is a pretty place for a holiday and that's about it".

I will never go back there to live and work. Ever.

Although I live in the US now (thanks hubby), I still hold Australia in the highest esteem. My lifestyle and state of mind was vastly improved and I will always thank Australia for saving me from the pit that NZ has become.

Well, I had a friend of mine for 11 years from New Zealand visiting this weekend. He put in for the diversity visa lottery(and should find out results today) for a green card to the USA. He has worked here for 5-10 months of the year for most of the last decade. Now the obama administration has made it difficult for employers to get H2B visas, so his way of life is done, as he can't find a job or visa for the US anymore. So he's in panic/desperation mode right now because he has to go back to NZ, possibly on a fairly permanent basis.

We had many talks this weekend about it and he cites many of the same reasons for wanting to leave New Zealand behind. Political correctness, welfare dependency, glory to the maoris above all else, high taxes, crummy built houses, a cartoony hollywood view of America and Americans, high cost of living and so on.

I definitely had a more positive no worries view of NZ 10 years ago, but after being down there 3 times for a decent sum of time and traveling to just about every corner of the country, I've seen the other side and I have more of a balanced view. And the way I see it, great country to travel around, enjoy the outdoors, goof off a bit, but for living and working, unless you are doing it for some kind of specific experience, I don't think it's worth it.

[nzrugby]

Originally Posted by Djuna

I can relate to some of this. I lived in NZ all my life until I was 39 years old. I went to Australia to do a nursing contract and although I had been to Australia on holiday before, I never realised how much of a higher standard of living they enjoyed. I went back home and started working again. My next pay reflected the pittance I was remunerated and I went back to Australia and stayed there. I have no pride in being a kiwi. I am embarrassed about our accent, our somewhat parochial attitude, our hatred of Americans for no real reason, our expensive standard of living, the list goes on. I can't stand the welfare mentality and the elevation of all things Maori to the detriment of the rest of New Zealanders. I tell people here "yeah NZ is a pretty place for a holiday and that's about it".

I will never go back there to live and work. Ever.

Although I live in the US now (thanks hubby), I still hold Australia in the highest esteem. My lifestyle and state of mind was vastly improved and I will always thank Australia for saving me from the pit that NZ has become.

So have you dropped your NZ citizenship as yet or does NZ owe you ?

[nzrugby]

Originally Posted by Djuna

There is a very strong anti-American sentiment in NZ. It started after NZ became nuclear free. I haven't lived in NZ for over 8 years now so things may have changed.

I blame our education system for people being ignorant of the FACTS about the nuclear issue.
The anti- American bias came about because a very dumb US ambassador to NZ stated we had no right as a sovereign country to ban US naval ships with carrying nukes visiting OUR ports.
So you can blame the idiocy of a Reagan picked ambassador for kiwis getting just a touch annoyed.
And no it was not only left wing kiwis who wanted to keep the ban, the right were also saying who the hell are the yanks to tell us what we will do in our country.
One has to wonder what the hell Reagan was doing in picking such a prat.

[BCC_1]

Originally Posted by nzrugby

Specialised treatment for deafness in kids,now these are AUSTRALIAN born kids so it should not be up to NZ to treat them when both both parents are working and paying taxes in Aus.
Oh, should we treat AUSTRALIAN born children in NZ on NZ taxpayers money ?

I didn't see that bit, all I saw was someone complaining that they weren't entitled to a carer's allowance.

Whether you treat Australian born children in NZ is a decision for NZ to make. I couldn't care less.