December 22, 2025 • 5 mins
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters says the new Free Trade Agreement with India is rushed.
It reduces or removes 95 percent of export tariffs, offers targeted temporary work visas - and gets preferential treatment for our apples and manuka honey.
I comes after nine months of negotiations.
Peters says it gives India too many concessions on immigration and investment, and does little for this country's dairy sector.
Winston Peters told Andrew Dickens not enough time was given for engagement, because of the time frame set by the Prime Minister.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, immediately after Christopher Luxon and Tom McLay stood up
to make their big trade announcement with India, they've been
a bit pipped at the post by their coalition partner
Winston Peters, who immediately released a statement saying the free
trade agreement was a terrible idea for New Zealand and
that New Zealand first wouldn't support it. So to answer why,
Winster Peters joins me, Now, come on in to you, Winston.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Good morning. And by the way, I didn't put it
quite that way. The way you've introduced it. What I
said was disappointing. It's not a neither free nor fair pree.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Dst all right, well, how is it not free or fair?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Well, we don't get access to the critical markets we want.
And the second thing is there's a seriously massive immigration
issues involved here, including exclusive rights for Indians which we
navigate to the Chinese, for these people from Korea or
anyone else. And this is really rudeous pointing.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Well, look, I talked to Tom McClay about this just
twenty minutes ago, and he said there's only one thousand,
six hundred and sixty seven skilled immigrants over three years.
There's a whole lot of conditions on it. We need
those skills for our economy. So he reckoned that you
had no right to be upset about the immigration levels.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
No. Look, let me just tell you that in the
Indian media and the Indian government has taken great credit
for the faith that they got themselves an exclusive deal
and which no other country has got. They're taking pride
in that matter. Here's the point. Five thousand a year
in one category'll been able to come and bring their children.
Now all of a sudden, you've got not just ten
(01:49):
thousand coming from this one category, or fifteen thousands have
got two trilldren, or twenty thousands have got three children,
or twenty five thousand, you've got four trill and you've
got that all potentially happening all of one year in
a very very contested market. And that's the point we
are already saying we should have waited and spent more
time trying get a far better deal than that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
So it's not that you're against immigration per se, because
you agree we need immigrants to fill the holes left
by our lack of skills and also by New Zealanders
who have left.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Well that has a category. But you know, the OECD
has been saying for decades that New Zealand's failure and
immigration is to be bringing in unskilled people. Of course
we agree to that, but we have had a very
own focused immigration policy and it's just become much more
less focused now.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Meanwhile, not a great deal for dairy farmers, which we
all know is our biggest thing. Great for sheep than
wool and metal and all sorts of things, but not
good for dairy farmers. What more could have been done
for them?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Well, look, the reality is that the Indians didn't grasp
that they need better production going forward, that there's a
country that's the world's world leading called New Zealand could
help them with greater production, that we competition with them,
but we needed to get alongside them and show them
how they could take their production from dearing, which they
(03:14):
will need desperately and national help with food as well
going forward. They could do that in the space of
three or four or five years, and we didn't needed
time to bed that in So as I say, this
was a plan to get greater engagement, which didn't. We
didn't spend enough time doing. Given the only two year
(03:35):
commitment that the Primates have made, has we met not
a three year one? He said we wanted a free
trade agreement before the next election. Well is a year
ago yet?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Okay? Now, are you're going to vote vote against it?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Look, well, this is an agredable conversation. We're having an
honest manner in the sense that we said, we're disappointed
have to say this, but we cannot agree and we
will not support in statute it because we believe and
it's very visible now it'll be very damaging to Heal's future.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So if you vote against it, will it sink it?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, we said they'll have to find the majority elsewhere.
I'll have to find the majority across the house.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Do you think l labor being globalist?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Well, can I just say that if you earned any
free t if you're in an agreement which bids and
Zeeland government and parliaments for the next future, for our future,
then you must consult. You should be consulting all of Parliament.
So I've learned that that conversation happened very recently in
the last few days.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Is this a safe bit for you in which you
can differentiate yourself from your coalition partners and yet not
at the same time small New Zealand's chances.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Well, I've safe that I'm a Jay Shankar belong than
the other politician. He's a foreign minister for India. And
I spent a lot of time trying to encourage us
greater tie up between our two countries. And I still
think there's a chance to prove it massively. But you
kind of do as I said, more threat more out
(05:08):
there and fun on the country Transparently. New Zealands will
be when they see the effect of what's being offered
here concerned us. So why would we offer just one
country this massive immigration advantage over the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
All right, winsteron Peters, I thank you very much. That
has wins Peter's New Zealand first leader who's not happy
with the deal as struck and as he says, maybe
ty Hoe, maybe take some more time, Maybe you adjust
the immigration levels.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
For more from News Talks at b Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks. It'd be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, immediately after Christopher Luxon and Tom McLay stood up
to make their big trade announcement with India, they've been
a bit pipped at the post by their coalition partner
Winston Peters, who immediately released a statement saying the free
trade agreement was a terrible idea for New Zealand and
that New Zealand first wouldn't support it. So to answer why,
Winster Peters joins me, Now, come on in to you, Winston.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Good morning. And by the way, I didn't put it
quite that way. The way you've introduced it. What I
said was disappointing. It's not a neither free nor fair pree.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Dst all right, well, how is it not free or fair?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Well, we don't get access to the critical markets we want.
And the second thing is there's a seriously massive immigration
issues involved here, including exclusive rights for Indians which we
navigate to the Chinese, for these people from Korea or
anyone else. And this is really rudeous pointing.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Well, look, I talked to Tom McClay about this just
twenty minutes ago, and he said there's only one thousand,
six hundred and sixty seven skilled immigrants over three years.
There's a whole lot of conditions on it. We need
those skills for our economy. So he reckoned that you
had no right to be upset about the immigration levels.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
No. Look, let me just tell you that in the
Indian media and the Indian government has taken great credit
for the faith that they got themselves an exclusive deal
and which no other country has got. They're taking pride
in that matter. Here's the point. Five thousand a year
in one category'll been able to come and bring their children.
Now all of a sudden, you've got not just ten
(01:49):
thousand coming from this one category, or fifteen thousands have
got two trilldren, or twenty thousands have got three children,
or twenty five thousand, you've got four trill and you've
got that all potentially happening all of one year in
a very very contested market. And that's the point we
are already saying we should have waited and spent more
time trying get a far better deal than that.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
So it's not that you're against immigration per se, because
you agree we need immigrants to fill the holes left
by our lack of skills and also by New Zealanders
who have left.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
Well that has a category. But you know, the OECD
has been saying for decades that New Zealand's failure and
immigration is to be bringing in unskilled people. Of course
we agree to that, but we have had a very
own focused immigration policy and it's just become much more
less focused now.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Meanwhile, not a great deal for dairy farmers, which we
all know is our biggest thing. Great for sheep than
wool and metal and all sorts of things, but not
good for dairy farmers. What more could have been done
for them?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Well, look, the reality is that the Indians didn't grasp
that they need better production going forward, that there's a
country that's the world's world leading called New Zealand could
help them with greater production, that we competition with them,
but we needed to get alongside them and show them
how they could take their production from dearing, which they
(03:14):
will need desperately and national help with food as well
going forward. They could do that in the space of
three or four or five years, and we didn't needed
time to bed that in So as I say, this
was a plan to get greater engagement, which didn't. We
didn't spend enough time doing. Given the only two year
(03:35):
commitment that the Primates have made, has we met not
a three year one? He said we wanted a free
trade agreement before the next election. Well is a year
ago yet?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Okay? Now, are you're going to vote vote against it?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Look, well, this is an agredable conversation. We're having an
honest manner in the sense that we said, we're disappointed
have to say this, but we cannot agree and we
will not support in statute it because we believe and
it's very visible now it'll be very damaging to Heal's future.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
So if you vote against it, will it sink it?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, we said they'll have to find the majority elsewhere.
I'll have to find the majority across the house.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Do you think l labor being globalist?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Well, can I just say that if you earned any
free t if you're in an agreement which bids and
Zeeland government and parliaments for the next future, for our future,
then you must consult. You should be consulting all of Parliament.
So I've learned that that conversation happened very recently in
the last few days.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Is this a safe bit for you in which you
can differentiate yourself from your coalition partners and yet not
at the same time small New Zealand's chances.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Well, I've safe that I'm a Jay Shankar belong than
the other politician. He's a foreign minister for India. And
I spent a lot of time trying to encourage us
greater tie up between our two countries. And I still
think there's a chance to prove it massively. But you
kind of do as I said, more threat more out
(05:08):
there and fun on the country Transparently. New Zealands will
be when they see the effect of what's being offered
here concerned us. So why would we offer just one
country this massive immigration advantage over the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
All right, winsteron Peters, I thank you very much. That
has wins Peter's New Zealand first leader who's not happy
with the deal as struck and as he says, maybe
ty Hoe, maybe take some more time, Maybe you adjust
the immigration levels.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
For more from News Talks at b Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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