Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand First will oppose the newly announced India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, describing it as a “bad deal” that gives too much away while delivering too little in return for New Zealanders.
In a statement on social media Peters said the agreement was “neither free nor fair”, arguing it failed to secure meaningful access for New Zealand’s major dairy exports while making significant concessions on immigration and labour market access.
He said New Zealand First had warned its coalition partner, National Party, against rushing into a low-quality agreement and urged negotiators to use the full parliamentary term to secure a better outcome.
“Unfortunately, these pleas went unheeded,” Peters said, accusing National of prioritising speed over substance. He confirmed New Zealand First had exercised the “agree to disagree” provision within the coalition and would vote against any enabling legislation introduced to Parliament.
Peters said the deal would be the first free trade agreement to exclude New Zealand’s core dairy products, including milk, cheese and butter, which together account for around $24 billion in exports, or 30 percent of total goods exports. He said the agreement was “impossible to defend to our rural communities” and left farmers exposed while opening New Zealand’s market to Indian products.
Peters also raised strong concerns about migration provisions, claiming New Zealand had offered India greater per-capita access to its labour market than Australia or the United Kingdom, despite high unemployment and economic pressure at home. He warned that creating a new employment visa specifically for Indian citizens could fuel migration at a time when New Zealanders were struggling to find work, and said proposed work rights for Indian students could restrict future governments’ ability to respond to changing labour conditions.
Despite opposing the agreement Peters stressed New Zealand First remained committed to strengthening ties with India and said its position was not a criticism of the Indian government or its negotiators. He said New Zealand First had significantly increased diplomatic and trade resources directed at India and maintained a strong relationship with India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar. Peters said the party’s stance was consistent with its long-held approach to trade deals, supporting agreements that deliver clear benefits for New Zealanders while opposing those that do not, regardless of whether it is in government or opposition.
New Zealand First is regrettably opposed to the India Free Trade Agreement announced today.
We consider the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to be neither free nor fair.
Regrettably, this is a bad deal for New Zealand. It gives too much away, especially on immigration,…
— Winston Peters (@winstonpeters) December 22, 2025
Never say I didn’t tell you.
National = Labour doing the speed limit
I feel the campaigning for next year’s election has begun.
Yes, those were my thoughts too.
So the cyclops was blinded
India and New Zealand conclude free trade pact
https://www.rt.com/india/629870-india-and-new-zealand-conclude/
Maybe we should send another delegation?
https://pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/03/Monty_Python.gif
Word is an opposition political party may support this bill.
What’s the bet this c*** Winston approved these deals in the first place.
Yes, just another “lizard tongue” career politician.
Who needs a wind farm when you have Luxon. Thank god we have Winnie to block this stupidity from Humpty Dumpty.
Globalization’s a stiff, cooling body. It was never unity; it was their expressway for plunder, off-ramps for leeches to gorge. Only shattering it—decentralizing into ironclad enclaves—severs the arteries. Starve the ****ers out. Or we’re all livestock, branded and bled before our unmarked graves.
https://emburlingame.substack.com/p/signs-and-portents
Anyone voting for the globalists, is wasting their vote and enabling the further destruction, of our society. As for this, sounds like electioneering to me.
Hipkins will provide the Mydas touch
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/watch-nz-agrees-trade-deal-with-india/VQY7WW3DTZEYLCZPQXGP6I3CGA/
Does the NZ Company still exist? Sure looks like it.
You mean the East India Company?
Yes
The New Zealand Company was chartered in 1840 at Westminster as a “British joint stock company”. The charter laid down the responsibility for the administration, legislative, judicial, military and financial affairs of the Colony of NZ. This was further empowered in 1843 and the Charter of 1846, extending the territory and duties after first being passed in Westminster Parliament and then the NZ Parliament.
The terms used correspond with much later acts such as the Crown Estates Act 1961 (UK) which states that the Crown estates originate in 1066 from Willian the Conqueror. The expressions and terminology in this Act determine that a “body corporate” had been commissioned to carry out the duty of managing the Crown estates. When this Act is matched with what took place in the 1840’s, we see that “body corporate” to be the NZ Company.
Originally the NZ Company had offices at the Broad street buildings in the “City of London”, but it appears the NZ company has been operating from New Zealand House and High Commission at the Haymarket, London.
Import the third world, become the third world.
Look no further than what these globalists like Luxon, Ardern and co have done to Europe.
And…Jabby is being lined-up to be the next U.N. Secretary-General (ie Global Bolshevik Secretariat).
Aunty Helen didn’t make the grade for that job, but Jabby surely has after the tyrannical dictatorship she AND Hipkins imposed on NZ resulting in the implosion of jobs, livlihoods and the economy!
Have you had to use a call centre recently??
Oh that’s nice!
Winston’s found some new causes of the dissafected to champion a year out from voting
Thanks Winston but too little tooabour started this