WELLINGTON – With the New Zealand election being held this weekend, political parties have outlined their Pacific-related policies.

The major parties were focusing on education, immigration and the relationships with Pacific governments.

National’s spokesperson for Pacific People’s Alfred Ngaro said he was proud of the work his government had done for Pacific people’s health and education and he was promising more of the same.

“So when, I think, in about 2008 the achievement levels for our Pasifika for NCEA level 2, which is the base level for any tertiary study, was about 51 per cent. Over the period of nine years that is now at 80 per cent, which is around the national average,” he said.

Mr Ngaro said he did not anticipate policy changes for the level of Pacific immigration into New Zealand.

“The issues that I’ve been able to facilitate and address have been in regards to when our people come how do we make sure that they have the same opportunities as anybody else,” he said. “How do we then deal with some of the issues around people then applying for permanent residency and then moving on to permanent citizenship?

“That’s been critically important.”

Mr Ngaro said the National-led government developed a greater focus on Pacific countries and this was bearing fruit through its various renewable energy schemes.

“This government has been committed also to, and recalibrated parts of its funding offshore to parts of Europe and have refocused that into the Pacific. So we are putting more aid into the Pacific than we ever have ever done before.”

Thousands of people have already voted, but the bulk of the New Zealand electorate will go to the polls today.