An immigration lawyer is concerned about Shane Jones' language towards the Indian community in New Zealand, and says it "needs to be stamped out immediately".
Alastair McClymont told Newshub it's "all very well for us to complain about Facebook and hate speech, but when you have ministers of the Government talking like this, this needs to be stamped out immediately".
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The McClymont & Associates lawyer's concern followed comments Jones made last month described as "racist", when he defended a controversial policy change by Immigration NZ making it harder for immigrants to obtain a partnership visa.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday she has directed Immigration NZ to ditch its directive, but that's not stopping Jones - a senior NZ First Cabinet Minister - from doubling down on his anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Last month he told RNZ, "You have no legitimate expectations in my view to bring your whole village to New Zealand, and if you don't like it and you're threatening to go home, then catch the next flight home."
And earlier this week, Jones described backlash from the Indian community as a "Bollywood overreaction", and on Wednesday he said "immigrant radicals should never have picked a fight with New Zealand First".
But all Jones' bellowing has beaten by a Government back down.
"What we're looking or is a return to the status quo," the Prime Minister said.
The Indian community has been rallying against the immigration change which made it difficult for migrants in arranged marriages to get visas for their spouses.
Ardern said her "expectation" is that Immigration NZ will "reverse back to the status quo and the way it was operating".
The Government is maintaining they did not direct Immigration NZ to change the rules.
"The decision never came to Cabinet; it was a decision that was made arbitrarily by officials and we're seeking for that to return to the status quo," Ardern said.
Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway also said he had nothing to do with it.
Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters had a different take, claiming credit for the change, and his deputy Jones won't give up the fight.
Referring to last month's Diwali Festival where protesters pushed back against changes to the parent category visa, Jones said the Prime Minister was "shouted down", describing it as "disgraceful behaviour".
"They're insisting that they want the dowry marriages brought to New Zealand on their terms [and] I'm just never going to agree with that... they've picked a scrap with the wrong guy."
Jones' partners in Government have been distancing themselves.
"There are some areas where you'll hear opinions from New Zealand First MPs that are not the opinions of Labour MPs or Green MPs," Ardern said.
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said it's "not at all how an immigration debate should be held."
Newshub.
