Peters defends Jones' comments about Indian students that were labelled 'racist' by Race Relations Commissioner

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 25:  NZ First leader Winston Peters and MP Shane Jones talk during a post caucus meeting press conference at Parliament on October 25, 2017 in Wellington, New Zealand. After failing to win an outright majority in the general election on September 23, Labour entered into a coalition agreement with the New Zealand First and Greens parties.  (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

NZ First MP Shane Jones has been defended by his leader Winston Peters over his recent comments surrounding Indian students in New Zealand. 

"He was referring to fraud in the education system and exploitation of students," Mr Peters said today. 

Mr Jones was interviewed by MediaWorks over the weekend around immigration. 

"We should debate it and there should be a mandate, rather than opening up the options, unfettered, and everyone comes here from New Delhi," he said. 

When questioned on the "New Delhi" comment, Mr Jones said, "I think that the number of students that have come from India have ruined many of those institutions, I think it’s a backdoor to citizenship".

Today, during Parliament's Question Time Mr Peters was asked by National's Gerry Brownlee why India would trust New Zealand's foreign affairs goal to have mutual trust that advances shared interest, after Mr Jones' comment. 

"Mr Jones made it very clear this morning that he was expressing the views of some in the local Indian community... and that he was referring to fraud in the education system and exploitation of students," Mr Peters told Parliament. 

"These issues were highlighted by the Migrant Workers Association and the Indian Workers' Association on a number of occasions when the previous administration was in Government. That's precisely what we're cleaning up."

Mr Peters said they had "page after page" of examples of Indian students running into problems, including prostitution, crime and exploitation by employers "under the previous administration, and we're fixing it up, and that's how we're going to build trust".

When asked, Mr Jones' colleague Tracey Martin said she thought Mr Jones was "wrong and he should have blamed the National Government and the criteria they put in place".

Earlier today, Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon deemed the comments "racist, ignorant and harmful".

"As a leader in Government, his words are irresponsible and harmful to many Indian, migrant and ethnic communities. These types of comments divide us as a country and embolden those that hold racist and xenophobic views."

Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that "on many occasions I have witnessed Minister Jones be both loose with his language and also be wrong".

"On this occasion he was both."

Mr Peters and Trade Minister David Parker visited India last week to "strengthen ties " between the two countries. 

"India is a priority relationship for New Zealand. We share common democratic traditions, growing two-way trade, extensive people-to-people links, and a common strategic interest in the Indo-Pacific region," Mr Peters said.

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