National backbencher calls out Shane Jones over ‘butter chicken tsunami’ jibe
Wednesday, 22 April 2026
National MP Carlos Cheung says NZ First minister Shane Jones’ comments about the India Free Trade Agreement bringing a “tsunami of butter chicken” were racist.
His comments go far further than senior National ministers, who have criticised Jones’ comments but have not described them as racist.
Cheung proactively brought up the comments when asked about feedback he received as an MP in his ultra-marginal Auckland seat of Mt Roskill, which he won by just 1564 votes.
Mt Roskill is one of the most ethnically diverse electorates in the country, with half of the population born overseas - the fourth-highest of any electorate. Around 49% of the electorate described themselves as Asian in the 2018 census.
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Cheung said when out door knocking his constituents they were bringing up the cost of living and crime, with the Government being seen to do well on crime, but more work to do on cost of living.
“I think there's a room for us to do a bit more on cost of living. But obviously, with my diverse community, I think some of the ethnic groups may be not very happy with some of the comments made by some of the ministers,” Cheung said.
He confirmed he was referring to the Jones’ comments which have been in the news this week.
“Any political leader shouldn’t use ethnic communities as a political football,” Cheung said.
“I think any racist comment is unacceptable.”
Asked why he was happy to describe the comments as racist while senior ministers including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford declined to, Cheung said he perhaps felt more strongly about the comments as a migrant himself.
Luxon on Monday described Jones’ language as “alarmist” and “unhelpful”.
“It’s colourful language from Shane Jones,” Luxon said.
“The bottom line for me is he's wrong. There is not going to be an influx of immigration.”
NZ First are campaigning against the India free trade agreement, arguing it allows too much immigration from India. NZ First leader Winston Peters said the comments referred to the fact that New Zealand did not need any more chefs.
Jones said he would not be “cancelled” by Cheung.
“NZ First is a party who believes that our country cannot tolerate any more immigration overreach We are going to campaign on that, and no one is going to cancel me from any migrant community about being a voice for the New Zealanders, and their anxieties and fears that the infrastructure of our society cannot cope with surges of immigration,” Jones said.