A senior New Zealand minister has sparked outrage by deriding a planned free-trade deal with India as a “butter chicken tsunami.”
Wellington is poised to sign a free-trade agreement with India in New Delhi next week.
The New Zealand government has hailed it as a “once in a generation” deal that would give its businesses access to the world’s most populated country’s vast domestic market.
Photo: AFP
However, its ruling coalition partner, the right-wing populist New Zealand (NZF) First party, has pulled support over fears it would open the country’s borders to thousands of Indian nationals.
The split would mean the government would need the opposition Labour Party to vote in favor when legislation goes before parliament in the coming months.
NZF deputy leader and New Zealand Minister for Regional Development Shane Jones on Monday said that his party would “never accept” the deal.
“I don’t care how much criticism we get, I am just never going to agree with a butter chicken tsunami coming to New Zealand,” Jones told Reality Check Radio.
The comments were widely condemned as racist by Indian community groups in New Zealand.
“It’s incredibly worrying for everybody,” Auckland Indian Association president Shanti Patel told public broadcaster RNZ.
Opposition lawmaker Priyanca Radhakrishnan described the comments as “outright racism.”
“It’s unacceptable and politicians shouldn’t be making statements like he has,” she said.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called Jones’ comments “unhelpful.”
Under the deal, more than 20,000 Indian migrants could enter the country, officials said.
NZF also raised concerns about a NZ$34 billion (US$20.11 billion) investment New Zealand is bound by the deal to make in India over 15 years.
Labour Party officials have cited similar concerns regarding the investment.