With the election looming, immigration has proven to be a hot topic in the press recently. We have been led to believe by successive governments that an increase in our population is the way forward and judging by the numbers Chinese are the preferred applicants.

Yet if you consult Statistic New Zealand figures you would wonder why this group is deemed highly desirable. Of the top six ethnic groups making up the majority of our population - Chinese number 171,411 and have a surprisingly low median income of only $16,000. At the other end of the scale, British and Irish immigrants number 105,765 and have a median income of $36,200, a healthy $6000 more than that of New Zealand Europeans.

Remembering these income figures are a median, that tells us that we have more than 85,000 new New Zealanders who earn $16,000 or less so would require substantial income support to survive.

If I was a gambler, my money would be on immigrants from the Northern Hemisphere who clearly have skills, education, a desire to work and contribute. Statistics don't lie - Politicians Do!

Susan Broad, Katikati