Australians are buying up houses in New Zealand, big time.

We can take several different slants on the latest report that it is Australians buying up New Zealand houses and not Asian people. This must get under Mr Peter’s skin (Leader of New First) because it will take the wind out of his sails and make it harder for him to target that group, come election time. We now know that Australians are snapping up what they believe to be bargain prices, forcing up the prices of course for NZers. So, we cannot blame anyone else other than our cousins from across the ‘ditch.’

With Mr Peters now looking for other targets to help him reach the magic 5% threshold needed for next year’s election, we should take a closer look at the reasons behind this latest piece of information. Is there some sinister plot on the part of Aussies to ‘take over’ NZ simply by making it untenable for ordinary NZers to own houses in their own country.

Maybe they love us so much that they want us all to move on over there so that they can force the price of labour down, thereby having a willing and compliant labour force to do the things they don’t want to do.

Perhaps the Aussies have seen the writing on the wall. They see economic breakdown occurring in their ‘lucky country’ and need a bolt hole to hide in when the proverbial finally hits the fan. Or, is it the prospect of millions of ‘boat people’ descending on the northern and eastern coasts of Australia that is frightening Australians to the extent that are seeking more distant pastures in which to play their Aussie Rules. Trouble is, Kiwis just don’t get it, so imagine the rivalry that will occur on that front!

No, forget economics, xenophobia, sporting nightmares or even climatic disasters! It’s the fear on the part of Julia Gillard supporters that they are going to live under a very different regime after the next Australian Federal elections. The prospect that the Labor (Aussie spelling again, sorry) Party is about to be cast aside to wander in the never land regions of Australian politics for several election cycles is one that Labor voters and politicians cannot stomach. Knowing that the Greens are probably going to be their bigger brother in Parliament and possibly the Senate, it just too much to stomach.

So the great diaspora of Australians has begun. They are setting up nest in New Zealand and no doubt some New Zealanders will seek drier pastures in Australian in the mistaken belief that life will be better for them. The ebb and flow of Trans-Tasman people flow will continue and sheep jokes will only slightly diminish as new New Zealand citizens take offence at the former bastion of humour attempts.

Has anything really changed by these momentous events? Nah, yeah Nah! To those people who are offended by my ‘observations, I sincerely apologise---yeah right!
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