I have been saying for the past couple of years that we are all living in a false economy, with growth brought about solely by migration.

In a complete lack of surprise, my stance has been backed up by economic evidence.

Brian Fallow writes today in the Herald that New Zealand's GDP growth without migration has been a very weak 0.4%.

This is truly pathetic, and displays with certainty that migration has been the prime - you could equally say "sole" - driver of our economy.

I trust it comforts the workers sleeping in cars because they can't afford rent, and the families living in over-crowded homes. Their sacrifice has allowed 200,000 Asians to move to New Zealand to take all the important jobs - things like barista at BP, checkout at the supermarket, and hundreds of jobs at fast food joints.

It's really important that we allow this growth, because without it, Auckland house prices would not be stratospheric and people might not vote John Key.

No matter - he's created a monster and the rest of us who aren't pals with Barack Obama will just have to pay the price.

That price will include spiralling social costs of crime and disease.

This is an occasion where I'd rather have been wrong. At least that way there would be hope.

As also noted today, there isn't any.

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