Todd McClay is pointing to Chris Hipkins’ visit to China earlier this year to say the prime minister missed a crucial opportunity to tell India that Wellington places New Delhi on a high priority.
“He [Hipkins] had an opportunity in the run up to an election to send a very clear signal to India, as he did to China, of the importance the New Zealand government places on the relationship with India. And he chose not to do that,” National’s trade spokesperson told The Indian Weekender.
Earlier in June, Hipkins led a nearly week-long trade delegation to China before embarking for Europe, a tour he says was crucial given the deep trade ties these regions have with New Zealand.
He told The Indian Weekender last week he didn’t have the time to visit India during the trip. McClay is not buying that argument.
“The one thing Chris Hipkins doesn't know, but you and I do, is from Beijing to Delhi there was a direct flight. He could have done both, he could have found a way to do it if he wanted to.”
McClay concedes a short halt in New Delhi would have been hardly enough for the purpose. “For him, just to go there for one day might not have worked. But he had an opportunity…to send a very clear signal to India”
Hipkins says India is next big thing on his priority list, and as part of his election campaign he has promised to visit the South Asian giant in the first 100 days if he were to become the prime minister again.
McClay, who in 2020 became the first MP in 24 years to have been elected for a fifth term representing Rotorua, describes that promise as a shame.
“It’s a shame he didn't visit the last 100 days before the election because that would have been a much more powerful message to the Indian government.”
The National Party’s candidate from Rotorua for the 2023 general election is backing his leader Chris Luxon’s bullish stand on firming up trade and diplomatic ties with India.
“I think the relationship needs a lot of work. It's not the Indian government's fault. New Zealand hasn't paid the attention that it should to India as an important relationship.”
He says his party will make sure government ministers and officials will know their Indian counterparts, and get to meet them and “go there often to rebuild the relationship”.
“...so India knows that we value them. We think they're important that New Zealand is a good place for people to visit, for students to come and study, for people to invest, to do trade, and that New Zealanders know the same of India.”
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