Why NZFirst is against the Indian FTA:
1. Unprecedented immigration settings including uncapped student numbers with working rights and 5000 visa holders entering NZ who can bring in families which increases that number to 20,000+ at any one time. This is in addition to other uncapped immigration work visa pathways within the agreement.
2. The UN co-governance framework UNDRIP is in the agreement. This is the provision that created He Puapua and co-governance being embedded in our country.
3. The Paris Agreement which forces unmeetable and pointless emission reduction targets onto our country is in the agreement, which costs our farmers, economy, and our country - with up to $22 billion being sent overseas.
4. New Zealand must promote $33 billion of investment into India over just the next 15 years, otherwise India will claw back the agreement. Billions of dollars we can’t afford into a foreign country when we are desperate for investment here in New Zealand.
National, Act, and Labour have agreed to this Indian FTA for short term headline gains with fundamental and substantial long term flaws.
They are even now just realising NZFirst was right about the immigration numbers and they are now trying to change the default immigration rules - but why just for India? Why not now put immigration restrictions in across all FTA partners and immigration…
Only NZFirst is fighting against this FTA, and the only party fighting for New Zealand and New Zealanders future.
“I’m free!”
Karl Stefanovic drops his statement after being axed by Channel Nine for daring to interview Tommy Robinson.
Australia likes to call itself a democracy, but this proves the truth: we have a narrow, state-aligned media cartel. Step outside the approved narrative, platform the “wrong” voice, or challenge the consensus and you’re cancelled.
Real free speech isn’t free if it costs you your job the moment you use it.
The issue surrounding the India FTA is not a game.
It has become clear now that NZFirst was right about the FTA creating unprecedented immigration settings. We stated that this FTA gives too much away on immigration.
We said that the “5000 work visa holders” was never the case. It was always going to mean “20,000+ more immigrants” as default immigration settings enable them to bring in families. That’s not even including the guaranteed work rights for the uncapped students. That means it will be even harder for kiwis finding jobs.
Kiwis are clearly concerned about these immigration settings in this FTA and is why ministers are now wanting to change and restrict how default immigration settings apply in the FTA with India.
They know kiwis are opposed to this part of the deal. But only NZFirst has led the opposition to it.
Our stance has always been that there should be no immigration as part of any FTA. That remains the case. And in fact there should be more restrictions on New Zealand’s immigration settings to ensure we put kiwis first.