Chippy shows Labour is listening on Indian Free Trade Agreement

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has signalled a harder line on the proposed India Free Trade Agreement, demanding migrant worker protections and transparency before offering support. In a political climate shaped by migration anxiety, exploitation concerns, and Election 2026 positioning, the debate over this deal goes well beyond tariffs and kiwifruit access.

When he was on The Bradbury Group recently, I put to Chippy that many domestic workers feared migrant workers because the level of exploitation drives their own wages down.

I put to him that when there was just one Labour Inspectorate for every 3,000 migrant workers, then the field of exploitation was vast and the anxieties of do mastic workers legitimate.

Instead of capitulating to National just to sign a deal for the sake of signing a deal (no matter how counterproductive), Labour are actually demanding something in response for their vote:

Labour Draws a Line on the India Free Trade Agreement

India FTA must be for the good of New Zealand – Labour

Labour has outlined the conditions National must meet before it will consider supporting the free trade agreement negotiated with India.

“We firmly believe in free trade, but our free trade agreements must not cause New Zealand harm,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.

“Christopher Luxon hamstrung the negotiation of this agreement by putting a time limit on it to fulfil his political agenda and botching the process. Now he finds himself agreeing to something without the support of his own Government.

“While the proposed agreement offers some trading opportunities, there appears to be significant risks in the way it is to be implemented in New Zealand, including sending $33 billion of private sector investment to India – a figure which is unrealistic when compared with past trade agreements.

“Given that the Foreign Minister has felt strongly enough to say he won’t support the deal, we also want to understand exactly what advice officials have provided Ministers. We ask that it is provided, in full, in the spirit of bipartisanship and the best interest of New Zealanders.

“Labour values the people who come to this country to work and study. It is essential that anyone coming to New Zealand is protected from exploitation, and that our international reputation for delivering high-quality education is upheld.

“Now that we have had the opportunity to scrutinise the agreement we have written to National setting out the conditions that must be met before we will consider supporting the agreement,” Chris Hipkins said.

Labour’s Conditions Before Supporting the India Deal

National must ensure:

• Stronger protections for migrant workers, as an increase in migration could result in higher numbers of workers being put in vulnerable employment situations;
• Our reputation for quality education is safeguarded. Any students coming into New Zealand under this agreement must be attending a legitimate education course;
• Clarity on the rationale, precedence, and national interest for the proposed $33 billion NZD of private investment in India over the next 15 years, a commitment where any shortfall could enable India to unilaterally revoke market access for the apple, honey, and kiwifruit sectors;
• That unredacted official advice on the agreement is provided to Labour.

We shouldn’t fear migration when it helps build our nation WHILE respecting the migrant worker with all the manaaki, liberty and agency a liberal progressive democracy offers the citizen and resident.

Migration Anxiety, Wage Suppression and the Reality of 120,000 Departures

Almost 120,000 Kiwis fled NZ last year…

Nearly 120,000 Kiwis left last year as population growth from immigrants to NZ slows

Tens of thousands of New Zealanders left the country in 2025.

The latest migration figures from Stats NZ on Friday showed 119,800 Kiwis left last year, compared to 2024 when 118,500 people departed.

New Zealand’s net migration gain in 2025 was the lowest for a calendar year since 2013, excluding the Covid-19 year of 2021.

The country gained 14,200 more people than it lost in 2025, according to Stats NZ, with 134,000 arrivals and 119,800 departures. That’s lower than 2024, when net migration was 23,800.

NZ Stuff

Migration Without Exploitation Is the Progressive Position

…we need policy that enables Kiwis to stay in NZ and live their lives while providing community infrastructure that is well resourced enough to lift migration without the cultural fictions that NZFirst play to.

Free trade that protects workers is not weakness. It is maturity. If Labour can hold that line — and force transparency into this deal — then this is what listening looks like in Election 2026.