9. Question No. 9—ImmigrationSTUART SMITH (National—Kaikōura) to the Minister of ImmigrationQuestion No. 9—Immigration9. STUART SMITH (National—Kaikōura) to the Minister of Immigration: Does he stand by all his Government's policies and statements on immigration?Hon POTO WILLIAMS (Associate Minister of Immigration) on behalf of the Minister of Immigration: On behalf of the Minister I stand by all the policies and statements I have responsibility for.Stuart Smith: Does he agree with his fellow Cabinet Minister Shane Jones when he said I would just say to the activists from the Indian community tame down your rhetoric you have no legitimate expectations in my view to bring your whole village to New Zealand" and if so why?Hon POTO WILLIAMS: On behalf of the Minister I have no ministerial responsibility for the Hon Shane Jones. However I would note that New Zealand welcomes people from all countries. We have a rules-based immigration system and a great country to live in. That means that we can't take all the people who want to come to New Zealand. Stuart Smith: Does he agree then with his fellow Cabinet Minister Shane Jones' comments to the Indian community upset at Immigration New Zealand (INZ) not recognising their arranged marriages when he said "if you don't like it and you're threatening to go home—catch the next flight home."? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: On behalf of the Minister again I do not have responsibility for the Hon Shane Jones but what I do want to say is that we do recognise that partnership visas are important because we recognise their importance to people's partners and to their wellbeing and to their happiness and settlement. Immigration is a rules-based system and these rules need to be applied fully and transparently. Stuart Smith: Does the Minister believe it is fair for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents in non-resident Indian marriages to leave New Zealand in order to be with their partners who are unable to get a partnership visa as they don't meet the living together requirement? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: On behalf of the Minister I want to reiterate what I have just said. We have partnership visas because we recognise the importance of people's partners to their wellbeing happiness and settlement but immigration is a rules-based system and these rules need to be applied fairly and transparently. Stuart Smith: Does the Minister believe that people in non-resident Indian marriages that are genuine and stable should be given the opportunity to meet the living together requirement in New Zealand through the issuing of a temporary visitor visa? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: On behalf of the Minister there are options for visas for people to apply. I encourage the member should he have constituents who are looking to make those applications to apply directly to Immigration New Zealand. These are matters for the Immigration New Zealand operational system. Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: Does the Minister agree with INZ's national visa manager Peter Elms' comment that Immigration New Zealand is mindful of "cultural complexities and sensitivities" with regard to applying criteria to the partnership visa; if so why? Hon POTO WILLIAMS: On behalf of the Minister I do agree with that statement. I would like to also reinforce that there has been no change in policy in terms of Government policy for partnership visas. There has been an application to ensure that the operational requirements of this policy are being met."