Former Minister of Immigration Hon Tuariki Delamere standing for TOP in Auckland Central
Former Minister of Immigration, the Honourable Tuariki Delamere, has today announced that he is joining the Opportunities Party (TOP) as Auckland Central candidate and spokesperson for immigration.
Delamere is a former New Zealand First MP, and member of Cabinet under the first-ever MMP coalition Government, and held ministerial portfolios including Immigration and the Overseas Investment Office. Since 1999, he has worked as an immigration law consultant in Auckland and acted as political advisor to Maori monarch, King Tuheitia.
After a nearly 20-year break from politics, Delamere says he chose to join TOP because he was impressed by their policies and candidates’ passion for the party.
“In 2017 I was impressed with TOP’s policies and their vision,” says Delamere. “I was also impressed by enthusiasm, passion, and commitment of the candidates. 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.”
Delamere’s track record and reputation in Parliament is that of fighting for what is right, not what is politically convenient at the time. As Associate Treasurer, Delamere faced down the National Party over funding for Te Matatini, after discovering in 1996 that the single biggest cultural event in New Zealand received zero funding from the Government.
Delamere told PM Jim Bolger that he would vote against the Budget, which then resulted in Te Matatini receiving $1m of state funding.
As immigration spokesperson for TOP, Delamere brings a wealth of experience to the role as former Minister of Immigration and current immigration lawyer. Delamere says immigration is something that has been needed in the past and will continue to be needed in the future.
“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,” says Delamere. “TOP welcomes immigration policies that will benefit New Zealand but will vigorously oppose immigration policies with no perceivable benefit to New Zealand.”
Delamere 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.
“The current fiasco of 15,000 skilled migrant residence visa applications just sitting, not being processed is a gross indictment on the Government,” he says. “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.”
One of Delamere’s first actions as Minister of Immigration 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,” Delamere recalls. “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.”
TOP party leader Geoff Simmons welcomes Delamere as an experienced candidate for the hotly contested Auckland Central electorate, especially following current MP Nikki Kaye’s retirement from politics.
“There’s no one like Tuariki Delamere in New Zealand politics, and we’re looking forward to the September election with him beside us,” says Simmons. “Tuariki 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.”
Since he left Parliament over 20 years ago, Delamere has owned and managed his immigration consultancy Tuariki Delamere & Associates and the famous Finale Restaurant & Cabaret on Karangahape Rd in the Auckland CBD.
“I am focused on the survival and prosperity of Auckland Central,” says Delamere. “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.”
Former Minister of Immigration, the Honourable Tuariki Delamere, has today announced that he is joining the Opportunities Party (TOP) as Auckland Central candidate and spokesperson for immigration.
Delamere is a former New Zealand First MP, and member of Cabinet under the first-ever MMP coalition...
Former Minister of Immigration, the Honourable Tuariki Delamere, has today announced that he is joining the Opportunities Party (TOP) as Auckland Central candidate and spokesperson for immigration.
Delamere is a former New Zealand First MP, and member of Cabinet under the first-ever MMP coalition Government, and held ministerial portfolios including Immigration and the Overseas Investment Office. Since 1999, he has worked as an immigration law consultant in Auckland and acted as political advisor to Maori monarch, King Tuheitia.
After a nearly 20-year break from politics, Delamere says he chose to join TOP because he was impressed by their policies and candidates’ passion for the party.
“In 2017 I was impressed with TOP’s policies and their vision,” says Delamere. “I was also impressed by enthusiasm, passion, and commitment of the candidates. 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.”
Delamere’s track record and reputation in Parliament is that of fighting for what is right, not what is politically convenient at the time. As Associate Treasurer, Delamere faced down the National Party over funding for Te Matatini, after discovering in 1996 that the single biggest cultural event in New Zealand received zero funding from the Government.
Delamere told PM Jim Bolger that he would vote against the Budget, which then resulted in Te Matatini receiving $1m of state funding.
As immigration spokesperson for TOP, Delamere brings a wealth of experience to the role as former Minister of Immigration and current immigration lawyer. Delamere says immigration is something that has been needed in the past and will continue to be needed in the future.
“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,” says Delamere. “TOP welcomes immigration policies that will benefit New Zealand but will vigorously oppose immigration policies with no perceivable benefit to New Zealand.”
Delamere 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.
“The current fiasco of 15,000 skilled migrant residence visa applications just sitting, not being processed is a gross indictment on the Government,” he says. “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.”
One of Delamere’s first actions as Minister of Immigration 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,” Delamere recalls. “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.”
TOP party leader Geoff Simmons welcomes Delamere as an experienced candidate for the hotly contested Auckland Central electorate, especially following current MP Nikki Kaye’s retirement from politics.
“There’s no one like Tuariki Delamere in New Zealand politics, and we’re looking forward to the September election with him beside us,” says Simmons. “Tuariki 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.”
Since he left Parliament over 20 years ago, Delamere has owned and managed his immigration consultancy Tuariki Delamere & Associates and the famous Finale Restaurant & Cabaret on Karangahape Rd in the Auckland CBD.
“I am focused on the survival and prosperity of Auckland Central,” says Delamere. “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.”
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