9. Question No. 9—Foreign AffairsHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) to the Minister of Foreign AffairsQuestion No. 9—Foreign Affairs9. Hon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Has he alerted the Prime Minister to the possibility that Hon Shane Jones' recent comments including I think the number of students that have come from India have ruined many of those institutions" might cause embarrassment and tension in our relationship with India?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Minister of Foreign Affairs): No and the Indian Government has not raised any concerns about these comments unlike in 2012 when Mr Brownlee said that the Finns were uneducated unemployed murderers—the Government of Finland did raise concerns. Furthermore the Leader of the Opposition's view that "Two Chinese are more valuable than two Indians" cannot have impressed the Indian people either.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Does he think it would be a good idea for the Hon Shane Jones to learn from the past mistakes of other politicians?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I want to thank Mr Brownlee for a brilliant suggestion but he would be a very busy man if he is to learn from that member's mistakes.Hon Gerry Brownlee: When he said yesterday—Hon Dr Nick Smith: They think it's a joke.SPEAKER: Order!Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think in the context of that little exchange that's a very unreasonable action for you to take. You pulled me up for apparently chipping at various times but we've had several questions in the last couple of days from the Deputy Prime Minister that have not been particularly relevant have had no ministerial responsibility and have taken an enormous amount of the House's time. So I'd ask you to perhaps reconsider whether or not we might be able to get that supplementary back at some point.SPEAKER: I'll think about it. I do say though that Dr Smith has a very loud voice and he was very late with his interjection.Hon Gerry Brownlee: When he said yesterday "I've just recited the Indian weekend[er] newspaper as an authority." is that the same Indian weekend newspaper that reported yesterday "Traditionally a sizable chunk of Indian immigrants have stood solidly behind Labour. But more recently particularly since this coalition Government came to power that support has steadily wavered. Not least because of repeated pronouncements by Labour's coalition partner [New Zealand] First whose leaders have continually targeted Indian immigrants for one reason or another in the media."?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: No but it's the same publication that reported this and I quote "The co-ethnic exploitation of migrants is a very pertinent issue in today's New Zealand. … some employers and education providers … are indulging in dubious activities [and] bringing a bad name to the Indian community. It is also hampering New Zealand's international reputation." That was a report by MP Bakshi on 28 February 2017 during the National Party's administration.Hon Gerry Brownlee: Has he explained to his ministerial colleagues Iain Lees-Galloway and James Shaw co-leader of the Green Party why Mr Jones' comments were not racist?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Because the definition of racism is prejudice discrimination or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. Nothing that Mr Jones has said fits that but Mr Brownlee's description of the Finns back in 2012 had the Finnish Government and all the diplomats complaining. Can I just say also that I've got 19 different articles here from the New Zealand and Indian media The Indian Weekender The Indian News Indian Newslink the Migrant Workers Association and the Indian Workers Association who all agree with these comments.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Perhaps the Minister should table those articles—that would be helpful. He's got them; he said he has them here. So that would be good. We'd like those tabled—they will be proved to be irrelevant. But I'd also like him to table any communication between the New Zealand Government and the Finnish Government over the comical statements made by me and reported comically in Finnish media.SPEAKER: Well the member might want quite a few of those things but he knows absolutely that he does not interrupt an answer to request them. The Minister of Foreign Affairs.Hon Gerry Brownlee: No there's no need "Bernie".Hon Member: You carry on defending racism.SPEAKER: Order!Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: I answered—SPEAKER: No the member will resume his seat. Who made that interjection? Hon Gerry Brownlee: I did.SPEAKER: The member will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: The member today has been testing my patience and that sort of interjection is probably not the wisest going past me. Right what I'm going to do—has the member finished his supplementaries? Right. Well I think we'll just go on because I think we're going down a hole that's not very good."