March 9, 2020 1:07pm by David Farrar

So how can Ardern claims Jones’ comments are nothing to do with the Government

The Government has sought to reassure the Indian High Commissioner after Minister Shane Jones claimed “unfettered” immigration from “New Delhi” had ruined academic institutions in New Zealand.
High Commissioner Muktesh Pardeshi told Stuff the Government had again confirmed its position on immigration to him after Jones’ comments — which “hurt” the Indian community.
The comments have opened a rift within the Government this week. On Thursday, the Indian Weekender published an interview with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in which she suggested she would demote or further reprimand the NZ First MP if she could.
Pardeshi said Jones’ comments, which came as Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Trade Minister David Parker were touring India, were “not helpful” for New Zealand-India relations.

If the Government is having to reassure the a foreign Government because of what Shane Jones said, you can’t credibly say it is nothing to do with the Government because he was speaking as a NZ First MP, not a Minister.

So presumably the message from the Government is that officially the Government is not racist and bigoted towards Indians, only one or two individual Ministers are.

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