A senior coalition Government minister's comments about a "butter chicken tsunami" of immigration from India has been described by the Prime Minister as "alarmist" and "scaremongering".
New Zealand First Deputy Leader Shane made the comments in an interview with Reality Check Radio last week when he was asked for his thoughts about New Zealand's free trade agreement with India.
He criticised the deal saying he believed it would allow "unfettered immigration", going on to say that that it would lead to roads being clogged and health and frontline services being overwhelmed.
More than 60 firms want parties to put their differences aside to get agreement over the line. (Source: 1News)
"I don't care how much criticism I get," Jones said before going on to make the comments: "I am never going to agree with a butter chicken tsunami coming to New Zealand."
He finished by saying "that will never happen if that requires our agreement."
1News today put the comments to the Prime Minister asking for his thoughts.
In response, Luxon said: "I appreciate NZ First has its own position on the Indian FTA. They are frankly wrong. They were wrong to oppose the China FTA, they're wrong to oppose the Indian FTA. This is about a country of 5 million people doing a deal with a country of 1.5 billion, the third biggest economy in the world, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, that creates huge opportunity for people that I would have thought New Zealand First would have cared about."
1News asked the Prime Minister if he thought the comments were racist, but Luxon didn't go that far.
"I don't know, but I'm just saying, they want to, the immigration story that they ask, you know, scare mongering around is absolutely false. And we have taken them through the data, we've taken them through the details of that deal, we'll continue to do so, because we would love them to re-think their position, but I appreciate they've got a pretty hard no against anything around free trade agreements."
Luxon was then again asked if he thought the comments were racist.
"It doesn't sound right. I mean, I'm just saying to you, it's alarmist, and it's actually unhelpful language, because actually what this is about is an opportunity for New Zealand. And I just think we need to elevate and actually think about what has been achieved here."
1News asked to speak to Jones about his comments, but was told, "he's busy".
Trade Minister Todd McClay whose set to sign the deal next week declined to comment on Jones' remarks.
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