'Butter chicken' commentary meets a nation on edge
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What does the 'butter chicken tsunami' metaphor mean for New Zealand?
I don't care how much criticism we get. I'm just never going to agree with a sort of butter chicken tsunami coming to New Zealand. Clearly racist.
It's frustrating because, of course, I look the way that I look. So he means it's people like Shamabil that he doesn't want in this country.
Shamabil Yacob had just finalised his report on social cohesion in New Zealand when Minister Shane Jones unleashed on immigrants. But surprisingly, Bangladesh-born, Lincoln-raised Shamabil wasn't surprised. His report found Kiwi attitudes toward immigrants are hardening, with 36% saying immigration levels are too high.
Absolutely. Our views on immigration are hardening very fast. It is really quite frightening because New Zealand, of course, is built on many generations of immigration.
Hi, I'm Amanda Gillies, and today on The Detail, the social state of our country. Are we a happy, inclusive and trusting population of 5 million, or is the social glue that binds us together fast becoming unstark?
New Zealand is fractured. We have three very different New Zealanders living alongside each other. And I see these divisions across financial stress.
The pain at the pump is now driving up the cost of food, freight and farming, which ultimately lands with consumers.
Politics, distrust in institutions.
A new poll shows Kiwis are losing faith in nationals' economic credibility, with confidence in its ability to handle the cost of living crisis plummeting.
Isolation, they're all reinforcing each other. And we've got this country that's become more frustrated and more disconnected. But what we need is for us to be able to come together to deal with the big changes that are coming at us, whether it's with climate change or war or aging populations. And to me, social cohesion is the foundation, is the answer for how we navigate these complexities. That's why this report is so important. It tells us where we're at, where we are strong, and where we can improve.
How are Kiwis' attitudes towards immigration changing?
The report released today was commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation and co-authored by Shamabeel, Chief Economist at Simplicity. Nearly 3,000 Kiwis of all ages and backgrounds took part in the survey late last year and were asked the same questions as the previous year, which was the first year of the survey. The latest results billed as both hopeful and frightening in equal measure, show social cohesion has slipped across all dimensions.
One thing that frightened the hell out of me was just how distrusting of institutions and government we have become over time. We can see why that is, that it feels like we don't have the leadership across successive governments to really deal with the big, knotty problems. But also there are some very personal things that frighten me. The rise in loneliness is extraordinary, particularly amongst young people. That really concerns me, surprises me, saddens me, because when people are isolated and disconnected, it becomes a self-reinforcing problem. So that's the kind of the disappointing ends of things. On the positive end was just how strongly held the idea of New Zealanders. There is this extraordinary passion for New Zealand, and it sits across age, ethnicity, location, New Zealand-born, foreign-born.
It doesn't matter. We love this country. And to me, that gives me a really positive foundation to build from. And not just a little bit, right? It's a very strong foundation. The other thing that gives me a lot of hope is just how much aspiration there is in our young people. Because I hear all the time, oh, young people, they're feckless. Not true. If anybody's feckless, it's the middle-aged and the old. We are complacent. We are happy to have gotten all the good stuff. And now we don't want to work on it. Whereas the young people, they're not experiencing the best conditions, but they have so much optimism and hope for the future.
What does the latest report reveal about social cohesion in New Zealand?
To me, that's the foundation for growth. That's the foundation for change. So I feel like there is lots of stuff about New Zealand that's actually really good, even if right now there are some signals that are quite frightening.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What does the 'butter chicken tsunami' metaphor mean for New Zealand?
0:00–2:14
2
How are Kiwis' attitudes towards immigration changing?
2:14–4:10
3
What does the latest report reveal about social cohesion in New Zealand?
4:10–8:25
4
Why is trust in government declining among New Zealanders?
8:25–12:00
5
How does financial stress impact social cohesion?
12:00–15:22
6
What role does loneliness play in New Zealand's social fabric?
15:22–19:19
7
What insights do young people provide about the future of New Zealand?
19:19–22:28
8
What actions can be taken to improve social cohesion in New Zealand?
22:28–22:36