This is edition 2026/073 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. The free trade agreement with India is both popular and the right thing to do
David Farrar
- 📊 A January 2026 Curia poll of 1,000 New Zealanders found strong support for a free trade agreement with India, with 54% in favour, 17% opposed, and 29% unsure (a +37% net support, roughly 3:1 in favour).
- 👥 Support was consistent across demographics, including women (+30%), men (+43%), under 40s (+33%), ages 40–59 (+33%), and over 60s (+44%).
- 🗳️ By party vote, support was highest among National (+57%) and ACT (+49%), followed by Labour (+37%), Greens (+19%), NZ First (+8%), while TPM voters were opposed (-15%).
- 🔍 Even among parties with leadership opposition (like NZ First and likely the Greens), more of their voters supported the agreement than opposed it.
- 🤝 Labour voters were strongly in favour, meaning Labour’s support for the agreement aligned with its voter base.
- ⚖️ Despite this, the intensity of support was low—few voters would have punished Labour for opposing the deal, as benefits are long-term rather than immediate.
- 🧠 Labour could have politically exploited the situation by opposing the FTA to embarrass the Government and create coalition tension ahead of an election.
- 🇳🇿 Instead, Labour chose to prioritise New Zealand’s national interest over political advantage by backing the legislation enabling the agreement.
- 🙏 This decision is framed as deserving gratitude, particularly acknowledging Chris Hipkins, Damien O’Connor, and Labour for their stance.
- 📈 The FTA is positioned as important for future prosperity, helping fund public services by boosting exports to what is expected to become the world’s third-largest economy.
