NZ First is an opponent to the free trade agreement (FTA) signed between New Zealand and India. Modi’s visit to New Zealand was the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 40 years.
Asked for the meaning of his “kneepads” comment at a media stand-up a day later, Jones said it was a “reference to the fact that we don’t want excessive submissiveness in our political culture to foreign leaders”.
NZ First leader Winston Peters interjected to say “that was yesterday’s speech”.
Shane Jones (right) was at the NZ First Convention and Campaign Launch over the weekend. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Hipkins on Monday said the comments were “completely inappropriate, somewhat desperate, and a reminder that a re-elected Government with Shane Jones, Winston Peters, David Seymour and Christopher Luxon all sitting around the Cabinet table is going to be more chaos, more bickering, and less progress for New Zealand”.
The Labour leader said if Jones was one of his MPs and made the comment in a similar scenario, he would sack them.
Hipkins said he wouldn’t “tolerate that language from any minister sitting around the Cabinet table, whether they were in my party or not”.
Luxon said it was important to present New Zealand well on an international stage.
“It’s a bit hypocritical frankly. I know NZ First is a bit bent out of shape by the India FTA. But their colleague Mark Patterson, the associate Minister of Agriculture, has been up in India recently advocating for selling New Zealand strong wool into the second biggest textile market as post the Indian FTA, we are going to have 0% tariffs on wool.”
Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.