National admits NZ needs immigration to avoid population decline

Summarised by Centrist

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has said New Zealand will have to rely on migration because the country is not having enough children.

The admission came during a noisy question time exchange, after Labour’s Phil Twyford asked whether National supported or opposed immigration-fuelled population growth.

Stanford replied: “We are not producing enough babies in this country to ensure that we have a stable or even growing population. We are going to rely on migration.”

She said the issue was “very serious”, pointing to the risk of a declining population. New Zealand’s current birth rate is 1.6 children per woman, well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

"If you search on the database of accredited employers and you search in Domino's Pizza, there's something like 40-odd results come up." – Jackson Fowler – Medical Plastics General Manager

Jackson Fowler says dozens of Domino's Pizza stores in New Zealand are accredited… pic.twitter.com/PTCaqNFL6n

— REALITY CHECK RADIO (@RCR_NZ) May 15, 2026

It’s deeply ironic that Phil Twyford, Labour’s spokesperson on immigration, tried to brand Christopher Luxon and National as racist over their immigration stance.

This is the same Phil Twyford who, during Auckland’s housing crisis, notoriously singled out people with… pic.twitter.com/jgbn5HeKfd

— Suit and tie (@Suitandtie9999) May 14, 2026

Some explicitly racist accounts from overseas seem to have no awareness that modern NZ isn't an ethnically segregated society.
If anything it's the opposite – almost 1 in 3 NZ kids have more than one ethnicity (including 70% of Māori, 62% of Pasifika, and 38% of European kids). https://t.co/C2YEduMEqt pic.twitter.com/1SGa2bYTly

— Charted Daily (@Charteddaily) May 2, 2026

The debate also exposed tension inside the coalition’s immigration messaging. 

Twyford contrasted Christopher Luxon’s comment that New Zealand would “really need more immigration” with Winston Peters repeatedly saying the opposite.

Read more over at Stuff

_{Receive our free newsletter here}