Dawn Chorus: Ag migrant worker tap turned on

TLDR: The Government is turning the tap back on for lower-paid migrant workers in dairying, meat processing, forestry and milling. Ministers announced exceptions this morning for 1,580 more migrant workers to come in over the next three months so farmers and meat works can handle extra work in the spring.

They’ll have to be paid at least the median wage of $27/hour and they won’t be eligible for the one-off resident visas designed for workers who stayed here during Covid. Paid subscribers can see more detail and analysis below the paywall fold.

The Government has increased the current allowance for migrant dairy workers, as well as forestry and meat workers. Photo: Getty Images

Elsewhere in the news this morning:

• Shanghai’s hard Covid lockdowns were eased a bit in some neighbourhoods overnight, but the economic and social toll is growing, with more reports of civil unrest and a growing queue of ships building off the east coast of China (Reuters, YahooFinance);

• Brent crude prices fell below US$100/barrel this morning on growing expectations the China lockdowns, the Ukraine war and the effects of sharp rises in market interest rates will force large chunks of the global economy closer or into recession (CNBC); and,

• UK GDP growth slowed much-more-than expected in March as consumers shocked by higher fuel and heating costs jammed the breaks on consumer spending, suggesting the ‘demand destruction’ effects of higher oil prices are pushing the consumer-spending parts of the global economy closer to recession (CNBC).

Later on today, I’ll get a chance to ask ministers and opposition leaders questions as they go into Parliament for Question Time. I’ll also check out the NZIER’s Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion due at 10 am today. The next big event on the economic calendar is the Reserve Bank’s expected rate hike tomorrow at 2pm, with opinion split on whether it will be 25 basis points or 50 basis points. I welcome paid subscribers’ suggested questions and lines of inquiry in the comments below.

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