Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at the opening ceremony of the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at the opening ceremony of the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru. Photo / Jason Oxenham
The refugee quota is shaping up to be a contentious issue between Labour and its Government coalition partner NZ First after conflicting comments from NZ First leader Winston Peters and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on whether it will be raised.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson, filling in for Ardern on hermorning media slots today, said the policy still needed to be worked through the coalition agreement.
"It's clearly the intention that we campaigned on as a Labour Party to move to 1500 refugees. We've got to work that through the coalition arrangement we've got, and we do have to have a proper plan in place," he told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking.
"That remains the intention of the [Immigration] Minister Iain Lees-Galloway to go to 1500."
Peters, who as Foreign Affairs Minister is in Nauru for the Pacific Islands Forum, told reporters yesterday NZ First had never made a commitment to double the refugee quota.
The quota was raised by the previous National government from 750 a year to 1000 and Labour campaigned before the election on increasing that further to 1500 a year in its first term of government.
Peters said his party had agreed to increase the quota to 1000 but had made no announcement to double it.
"We've got 50,000 people who are homeless back home, and I can show you parts of the Hokianga and elsewhere, parts of Northland, with people living in degradation.
