Vision New Zealand is calling for an immediate halt to the ratification of the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA). We believe the Crown has committed a constitutional disgrace by allowing a foreign government to dictate the terms of our domestic partnerships.

The evidence from the National Interest Analysis is clear. The Crown signed this deal on 27 April 2026 without providing the final text of critical chapters to mandated Māori groups like Ngā Toki Whakarururanga. This is a direct breach of the Principle of Partnership. Even more alarming is that the Indian government repeatedly rejected requests to share the text with Māori, and our own government folded to those demands.

We are witnessing a "one way street" where the Crown has sacrificed its duty of Active Protection. While the agreement grants specific recognition and 200 dedicated visas for Indian traditional medicine (AYUSH), it fails to provide any equivalent protections or pathways for Rongoā Māori.

"The Crown cannot fulfill its duty to consult if it keeps the clauses secret from its partner," says Vision New Zealand. We are being sold a deal where a foreign power was given more say over our laws than the people who live here. Vision New Zealand stands for One Nation and One People, and that means a government that honours its word to all its citizens, not one that surrenders our sovereignty for a 0.07% GDP gain.

© Scoop Media