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Summarised by Centrist
Heather du Plessis-Allan recently said on Newstalk ZB that “it’s starting to sound like Winston Peters was right about that India Free Trade Agreement, and that the government is not being straight up with us about what’s in the document.”
Her concern centres on student visa provisions. She said it “appears the agreement does stop us from being able to cap the number of Indian students who come here,” though she noted there is currently no cap on any nationality. The issue, she said, is that the deal may prevent New Zealand from “specifically targeting Indian students and putting a cap on them alone.”
Du Plessis-Allan framed the dispute less as an immigration debate and more as a transparency issue. “The trouble is, instead of having that debate, we’re now on track to have a debate about whether the Government is hiding things from voters,” she said. She added that “it’s becoming increasingly clear that they are withholding something, judging by the way the Trade Minister ducks and dives when asked about this.”
Her comments echo Peters’ warning that “the truth is not being told to the public” and his claim that the deal could significantly increase migration flows.
The full text of the agreement remains under legal review and has not yet been publicly released. Until it is, the dispute rests on competing interpretations of extracted portions, and on whether the Government’s reassurances match the fine print.
Image: MEAphotogallery
