Shane Jones comments on the Kiwi-Indian community were offensive: Priyanca Radhakrishnan
Last week, Priyanca Radhakrishnan MP, Labour Party, List MP based in Maungakiekie, sat with Gaurav Sharma, Associate Editor, The Indian News, and discussed a wide range of issues.
These included recent changes [and then back-tracking] on culturally-arranged partnership visas; the reopening of parent category visa with a new threshold of at least two times the country’s median income; as well as her experience of representing New Zealand in the recently-concluded Nairobi Summit, which made huge strides in women rights.
Highlights of the conversation
I have not been invisible. I am always available if someone expresses their concerns, and ask questions. Moreover, I have felt immigration is an issue, which the Immigration Minister is best suited to address.
There is no confusion on how the government has fixed culturally-arranged partnership visas. In cases, where prospective partners are introduced to each other by their respective families, followed by few dates, after which they decide to get married; this will be termed as a culturally-arranged marriage, as far as I understand it.
I understand the concerns on the threshold being high for the parents visa category, which I must say, was closed earlier. We have reopened it. Moreover, this is a coalition government. But I am sure, my party, Labour, will have internal discussions on the newly introduced threshold for the parent visa category, leading up to the next elections.
It’s true that some of the attacks on me have become personal, which are not welcome. On allegations that I don’t care about the higher thresholds for parent category visa, as my parents are already here, nothing can be farther from truth. While I lost my mother early this year, my father still lives in India.
I am proud of what we have achieved at the Nairobi summit, as well as in the New Zealand Parliament, in regards to the rights of women and young girls.
-Gaurav Sharma