Story perspectives

Kumar Backs India Deal, NZ First Picks Brown, Leaders Clash

7/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Kumar said witnessing protests and support for the India-New Zealand free-trade deal convinced him his earlier decision was correct.
NZ First announced Billy Brown as its Rotorua candidate, noting 25 years of infrastructure experience and multimillion-dollar civil-construction projects.
Party leaders Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters responded to Shane Jones’s ‘butter chicken’ trade-deal comment and Canadian conference-trip overspend, with Luxon calling the remarks unhelpful and Peters defending Jones.

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Story summary

Kumar said witnessing protests and support for the India-New Zealand free-trade deal convinced him his earlier decision was correct.
NZ First announced Billy Brown as its Rotorua candidate, noting 25 years of infrastructure experience and multimillion-dollar civil-construction projects.
Party leaders Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters responded to Shane Jones’s ‘butter chicken’ trade-deal comment and Canadian conference-trip overspend, with Luxon calling the remarks unhelpful and Peters defending Jones.