NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters Slams “Low-Quality” India Trade Deal; Coalition Rift Deepens

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters has launched a scathing attack on the newly concluded India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), branding it “neither free nor fair.” Peters, leader of the nationalist New Zealand First party—a key member of the ruling coalition—announced on December 22, 2025, that his party would oppose the deal in Parliament. He argued that the agreement makes “serious concessions” on immigration while failing to secure meaningful access for New Zealand’s massive dairy sector. This public dissent has exposed a significant rift within Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s government, potentially forcing the National Party to seek support from the opposition Labour Party to ratify the pact.