PR: Population Conference

[Ministerial Announcements]

No Other Conference As Diverse

A diverse range of speakers and commentators have been finalised
and will ensure that the Population Conference is fully representative
of all New Zealanders, Immigration Minister Max Bradford said
today.

"I doubt if any other New Zealand conference could boast such
diversity of people, backgrounds and expertise.

"We have around 40 experts in various fields from social historians
to economists, trade unions representatives to employers, refugee
and ethnic communities to the Business Roundtable, Maori policy
experts to Asian advocates, environmentalists to bankers, sociologists,
urban planners and more."

Mr Bradford said he encouraged people and groups with an interest
in New Zealand's population and future to participate in the
conference.

"We deliberately set out to make sure the Population Conference
would be relevant to all sectors of New Zealand."

Mr Bradford said the Government wanted to make sure New Zealand
was prepared for the diverse population issues that face New
Zealanders in the future.

"Every decision we make now will have consequences in years to
come.

"For example, the 1995 changes to English language requirements
have been criticised by some, and linked to falling numbers of
Asian immigrants who have in the past brought large amounts of
investment and new business into New Zealand."

That case highlighted the consequences of decisions and the importance
of being informed, looking long term and looking at all the angles,
Mr Bradford said.

Mr Bradford said the conference would look at a wide range of
issues. For
example:

- How many migrants should come here? What sort of migrants?
- How would our schools cope with a flood of new non-English
speaking children?
- If we allow our population to increase rapidly, are our cities
equipped to
house them?
- Will our motorways become incapacitated by peak-hour traffic?
- How will we protect the environment?
- If New Zealand does not have enough skilled workers to support
our business
and industry, how will our businesses compete with the rest of
the world?
- Can skilled people from overseas fill the skills and labour
gap? How do we
make sure new migrants from different cultures settle in New
Zealand easily?
- How can we make sure our schools, polyptychs and universities
respond to
changing skill requirements?
- What are the implications of an increasingly multi-cultural
society?
- With one-parent families increasing and our population aging,
will our social
services cope in years to come?

The Population Conference will look comprehensively at the overall
impacts of population on the economy, communities, the infrastructure
of our cities, the environment, our culture and national identity,
social services, the labour market and business development.

"It'll also examine the impacts of the Government's immigration
policies - the mix of migrants we are getting, the relationship
between social and economic migration and issues relating to
migrant settlement."

Research to support the Conference is well underway, particularly
focussing on includes analysis of long term social and economic
trends from the latest census data and the impact of immigration.

Speakers and commentators include:

Dr Jim Smith of California - chairman the National Academy of
Sciences Panel on Demographic and Economic Impacts of Immigration
1995-1997. His published work also covers issues relating to
ageing, health and retirement, women in the labour market and
long term savings.
Len Cook - Government statistician
Professor Ian Pool - population change in New Zealand in relation
to social and
economic policy, Waikato University
Professor Richard Bedford - international migration, particularly
in relation
to the Pacific Island peoples and New Zealand, Waikato University
Paula Rebstock, Department of Labour, general manager, policy
Sir Tipene O'Regan - economic, cultural and resource management
aspects of
Maori participation in New Zealand society.
Dr Liliana Winkelman - Canterbury University: specialises in
economics,
internation trade, industrial organisation.
Roger Kerr - NZ Business Roundtable
Anne Knowles - NZ Employers Federation
Hekia Parata - public policy development
Sir Ross Jansen - chairman Midland Health
Sir Neil Waters - chairman NZQA, Foundation for Research, Science
and Technology
Dr Manying Ip - senior lecturer in Chinese, Auckland University
John Yeabsley - senior research economist NZIER
Dr Rasalingham - president of the NZ Federation of Ethnic Councils
Elizabeth Rowe - general manager of the Social Policy Agency
Stephen Tindall - founder of The Warehouse
Prof. Peggy Koopman-Boyden - Dean of Social Sciences, Waikato
University
Denise Church - chief executive Ministry for the Environment
Kerry Marshall - Mayor of Tasman District and president of Local
Government NZ
Claire Johnstone - chief executive Wellingotn Chamber of Commerce
Dr Rajen Prasad - Race Relations Conciliator
Pansy Wong - MP
Prof. James Belich - author, Professor of History, Auckland University
Pauline Winter - chief executive of Workbridge, Pacific Island
Businesswoman of
the Year
Prof Grant Cushman - Professor of Parks, Recreation and Tourism,
Lincoln
University
Prof Geoffrey Kearsley - Professor of Tourism, Otago University
Dr J Morgan William - Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
Cath Wallace - lecturer, School of Business and Public Management,
Victoria
University
Kwame Mfodwo 0 law lecturer, School of Management Studies, Waikato
University
Wira Gardiner - foudning chief executive Ministry of Maori Development
Whetu Wereta - independent consultant for Te Puni Kokiri, NZ
Police, Statistics
NZ, Law Commission
Dr Papaarangi Reid - specialist in public health medicine, Wellington
School of
Medicine
Ralph Norris - ASB Bank managing director, NZ Business Roundtable.
Gerald Thorby, JP - chairman of the Pacific Island Business Development
Trust,
Manakau Pacifi Markes and South Auckland Hospice Trust
Dr Shirley Mendoza - business management consultant, special
interest in
migrants, training and development
Phillip Gibson - executive director Asia 200 Foundation
James Koh - presidnet NZ Software Associaiton, director of Environment
Science
and Research Institute
Wendy Pye - journalist, writer, publisher, media specialist,
businesswoman.
________________________________________________________________________
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