Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has refused to release a document that NZ First leader Winston Peters claims shows covert discrimination against Indian citizens in migration settings. RNZ

The withheld document is titled 'Implementation of the India-NZ FTA: detailed policy design and timelines'. Stanford withheld it in full, citing the need to maintain constitutional conventions protecting the confidentiality of advice tendered by ministers of the Crown and officials. She stated the public value in releasing the document does not outweigh the need to keep it secret. RNZ

Stanford's response was provided about 4:30pm on Friday 24 July 2026, the final day to respond to the Official Information Act request. Neither NZ First nor National have been willing to release the document to the public. RNZ has complained to the ombudsman about the refusal to release the document. RNZ

Peters had read aloud from the document in Parliament, claiming it showed Stanford had 'approved' changes that would discriminate against Indian citizens. Peters claimed the document included officials discussing the importance of not announcing those changes because of how India would react. He had previously raised the issue in a parliamentary question on 22 April 2026 about whether the India-NZ Free Trade Agreement would allow discrimination against Indian citizens. Hansard RNZ

Prior to Stanford's refusal, RNZ first sought a copy of the document on the day Peters revealed its existence in Parliament. Stanford's office initially refused the request, referring requests for comment to Trade Minister Todd McClay's office and lodging the request under the Official Information Act. RNZ

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Peters was 'just wrong' about the free trade agreement discrimination claim. Luxon argued it is 'very normal that the minister of immigration imposes bespoke conditions on any FTA visas that are negotiated'. McClay said Peters was wrong and 'should stop promoting misinformation for the sake of gaining votes'. RNZ

Stanford said it was 'not helpful' for the relationship with India that Peters was making those claims, and said Peters had broken from usual processes in making his claims. Peters claimed releasing the document would be 'acting outside Cabinet rules' and urged reporters to get a copy from Stanford. RNZ

Peters had opposed the India FTA deal since before it was announced. He had previously criticised immigration provisions he said could mean 'open slather immigration' of Indians taking opportunities away from New Zealanders. NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones warned against a 'butter chicken tsunami' in relation to Indian immigration. A Beehive press release listing ministers involved in securing the agreement included Peters and Jones alongside National ministers. Beehive.govt.nz RNZ

Stuff had earlier reported that Stanford approved changes to immigration rights for Indian citizens, framing Peters's claims around the FTA. Stuff

The dispute sits squarely within the operational tensions of the coalition. Peters and Jones were listed as ministers involved in securing the agreement, yet both have campaigned publicly against the immigration outcomes. That creates a dynamic where a coalition partner is actively undermining a signature trade achievement of the government it belongs to, while using parliamentary privilege to air claims the Prime Minister and relevant ministers reject outright.

Stanford's decision to withhold the document in full is a hard OIA position. The convention protecting confidential advice to ministers is a standard withholding ground, but refusing release entirely, rather than providing a redacted version, invites scrutiny from the ombudsman. The complaint lodged by RNZ will test whether the public interest in transparency around bespoke immigration conditions attached to an FTA overrides the convention of confidentiality.

Peters's refusal to release the document himself, citing Cabinet rules, shifts the accountability to Stanford while still using the document's contents to politically damage the government. It is a familiar tactic for the NZ First leader, leveraging information obtained through official channels to sustain a public campaign without breaching the rules himself. The ombudsman's investigation will be the next pressure point.