Credit where credit’s due.

Our government hasn’t wasted a minute under the Australian Prime Ministership of Anthony Albanese to dramatically improve the relationship with our closest neighbour. With Scott Morrison out, and two governments closely aligned on the ideological front, in less than a year several major policies have been changed for New Zealanders’ benefit.

Application of the 501 deportations was significantly pared back, and now New Zealanders in Australia have a more direct path to citizenship.

It restores something akin to reciprocity for the first time in more than twenty years.

But while the policy is excellent news for New Zealanders in Australia, it may not be so good for New Zealand. The more complicated path to citizenship was one of the few deterrents remaining for Kiwis considering moving to Australia.

“New Zealanders who leave for Australia raise the I.Q of both.”

It made for a cute quote, you’re kidding yourself if these days you agree with Rob Muldoon’s famous line.

If you’re a young, ambitious New Zealander today, why would you choose to stay?

I texted my friend in Melbourne this morning to ask about the changes. He was delighted – he moved over after the Christchurch earthquake and has been waiting for these changes to apply for Australian citizenship.

“Out of interest,” I said.

“What would it take for you to move home? I know you miss your family, but what more would you need?”

He sent me a three symbol reply.

“$$$”

“Our household income over here is roughly 400K,” he told me.

“We’d be super lucky to get two thirds of that in NZ even before we accounted for the exchange rate, and there are way fewer jobs in our fields.”

I think all of us have bright, successful, friends and family members who could be contributing to New Zealand’s society and economy but have moved over and haven’t come back. There are roughly ten times more New Zealanders – almost 700,000 – living in Australia than Australians living here. There’s every likelihood this change will contribute even more to the bleed.

And it isn’t just Kiwis like my mate, working in corporate and IT jobs. It’s every sector.

When my sister worked as a teacher in Western Australia she earned roughly $40,000 more every year than she would have in New Zealand at the same time. At the start of this month, The Guardian reported that 5000 New Zealand nurses have registered to work in Australia since August of last year. It’s only three hours away. When you compare pay, conditions, and lifestyle, the rational question isn’t why a young person would consider moving to Oz. It’s why wouldn’t they?

We’re always going to struggle to compete economically with Australia. The nature and make up of their economy means we can only get so close. I don’t begrudge the tens or hundreds of thousands of Kiwis who will benefit from these changes.

But as Australia gives New Zealanders an even better deal, it’s a prime opportunity to pause and ask ourselves what more we should be doing to stop them leaving in the first place?