Christopher Luxon says people are reading too much into Winston Peters' absence during Narendra Modi's visit to New Zealand. On 6 July, when reporters pressed him on the timing, Luxon told them they were "overthinking it."

Modi — India's prime minister — is coming to Auckland on 11 July. It's the first visit by an Indian PM in 40 years. The trip is part of a three-nation tour: Modi's already in Indonesia (6–8 July) and Melbourne (10 July), so New Zealand is the final stop. Luxon has called it a "historic visit" and a "leader level visit," saying it opens doors to jobs, exports, and closer ties between the countries.

But Peters won't be here. He's the Foreign Affairs Minister, and he'll be in Singapore and Japan during Modi's stay. A spokesperson for Peters said his travel was planned months ago, based on strategy from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and had nothing to do with Modi's visit timing.

Luxon agreed. He said it's normal — and fine — for a foreign affairs minister to be overseas during a bilateral visit like this. He pushed back on the idea that Peters should normally be in the country for such an occasion.

The trade agreement dispute

The timing raises eyebrows because of real disagreements behind closed doors. Peters has been critical of the India Free Trade Agreement — the centrepiece of what Luxon wants to achieve with Modi's visit. New Zealand First didn't support the deal, and Peters objected when Parliament first debated the trade agreement legislation, saying National was quietly making changes to immigration rules that would treat Indian people differently from other trade partners.

Trade Minister Todd McClay rejected that claim. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford went further, warning that Peters risked damaging New Zealand's relationship with India. Luxon was blunt: Peters "doesn't like free trade agreements," whether with China or India. He also criticised Peters for comments about migrants generally, saying he rejected any attempt to "whip up anti-immigrant sentiment and denigrate our immigrant community."

Peters also raised concerns about how the deal might affect New Zealand's dairy farmers — an issue that always comes up in coalition negotiations about farming.

What the absence looks like

Labour leader Chris Hipkins made a dry observation: there's "a lot of disagreement" within the government over the trade agreement, he said, and Peters being away was "certainly convenient" — and probably "better for the country."

The practical situation is this: New Zealand First's agreement with National doesn't require Peters to publicly support policies his party disagrees with. But as Foreign Affairs Minister, he has other duties. And a question lingers that Luxon's explanation hasn't fully answered: was Peters' schedule a genuine coincidence, or was it managed that way?

Luxon's argument — that this is a prime minister's event, and foreign ministers handle the smaller details — makes sense on paper. Prime ministers host other prime ministers. Foreign ministers work in supporting roles. But the trade agreement legislation passed its first Parliament reading just before Modi arrives, Peters has been publicly opposed to the deal, and he's simultaneously in Asia rather than Wellington. That combination gives the whole thing an appearance that a simple denial doesn't easily clear away.

The Prime Minister's office confirmed Modi arrives in Auckland on Friday 10 July and leaves on Saturday 11 July — a short visit for something Luxon has put real political effort into framing as a major turning point for the two countries.