NZ First leader Winston Peters has accused National of covertly altering its position on immigration settings in the India Free Trade Agreement, a claim Trade Minister Todd McClay denies.
The India FTA Bill passed its first reading on Thursday with 93 votes in favour and 29 against. National, Labour and ACT backed the legislation, while NZ First voted against it alongside the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and independents Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.
Peters said he received a briefing from officials about decisions by the Immigration Minister and claimed officials discussed withholding public announcements about immigration changes because of concerns over India's reaction. He said the changes would restrict immigration policies in ways that affect India exclusively.
Peters claimed Indian citizens would face discriminatory treatment compared to other FTA partners, including being subject to a labour market test, being prevented from lodging temporary work visa applications inside New Zealand, and being unable to use work experience gained on temporary visas to meet residency requirements.
McClay rejected the claims, saying "they should stop promoting misinformation for the sake of gaining votes". He said "they've consistently failed to support important trade agreements that are in the best interests of NZ".
Interest.co.nz requested the briefing from NZ First, McClay's office and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford's office, but it was not provided. Stanford's office is considering the request under the Official Information Act.
The agreement will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 95% of New Zealand's exports to India when fully implemented. India's economy is worth 7 trillion New Zealand dollars and has averaged 8.25% growth since 2021.
The Bill will be considered by the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee, with public submissions invited. The Government is working towards ratification later this year.