Winston Peters has rejected the idea of an Australian-style citizenship quiz - but reckons would-be Kiwis need to be educated about our core values and systems.
The Foreign Minister - speaking as NZ First leader - said migrant New Zealanders would be better advised to learn about the
systems that operate in New Zealand and the values that are held here.
"You can't have people find out 10 or 20 years later how the system works.
"People must know they have to take complaints to the police, not the chief guy in the village," Mr Peters said.
New Zealand should "choose who we want, and properly inform them of the society they are coming into".
Australia has introduced a questionnaire to make sure prospective citizens have a working knowledge of its history, society and culture.
It includes brain benders such as: what year did Federation take place, which day of the year is Australia Day, and who was Australia's first Prime Minister?
But it is not something Mr Peters believes would work for those wanting to call themselves New Zealanders.
New Zealand has no such test, preferring instead to rely on the oath of allegiance and English language tests to weed out the unworthy.
