Labour leader David Cunliffe says the party is not telling migrants to stay away from New Zealand, but, if elected, it will slash the number of immigrants to slow rising house prices.
Treasury predicts the annual net inflow of migrants will peak at 38,000 this year, mainly because fewer New Zealanders are leaving for Australia and more are returning home.
Mr Cunliffe told Morning Report he won't put a figure on how many people will be allowed in under a Labour government.
He said immigration should not be a yo-yo and should be at a level which the health and education systems can cope with and which will slow rising house prices.
