As the Government announces the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement with India, some Māori leaders are warning that the deal represents a missed chance for meaningful Māori engagement, influence and benefit.
The advocacy group Ngā Toki Whakarururanga, which has worked for improved Māori participation in international trade negotiations, says the India FTA negotiations failed to provide Māori with meaningful and genuine influence at the table. The organisation had hoped for innovative opportunities that could benefit Māori and Indigenous peoples in India, especially in areas of shared interest, but says those expectations were not realised.
Ngā Toki Whakarururanga initially welcomed the start of negotiations and communicated the potential for collaboration with trade negotiators, including Trade Minister Todd McClay and New Zealand’s lead trade negotiator. However, they say India did not allow the sharing of the draft agreement text even on a confidential basis – a process that would align with other recent trade talks and allow Māori to assess potential impacts and opportunities as they took shape.
The group also highlighted that the Crown had committed to include a new best-practice Treaty of Waitangi provision in trade deals – developed jointly with Ngā Toki Whakarururanga – but that India refused to permit text sharing on that crucial clause during negotiations. This has led to serious concerns about whether the final agreement can be consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
Ngā Toki Whakarururanga says it will now undertake a comprehensive Treaty of Waitangi assessment of the FTA as part of its role in holding the Crown to account for its actions in international trade policy, including how Māori interests are protected or advanced.
Supporters of the FTA argue the agreement opens New Zealand exporters to India’s vast market and could present economic opportunities for a wide range of businesses, including Māori enterprises. Government statements note increasing access for New Zealand goods and services into India and provisions intended to address Māori interests.
But for critics, the process matters as much as the outcome. They say that without transparent negotiation and genuine engagement, Māori – as Treaty partners and stakeholders in Aotearoa’s export future – risk being sidelined in a deal that will shape economic relationships for decades. Ngā Toki Whakarururanga’s response reflects a broader debate over how trade policy should account for indigenous rights, economic equity and Treaty obligations in international agreements.
As Parliament prepares to consider enabling legislation for the India FTA next year, these Treaty and Māori engagement questions are likely to be part of ongoing scrutiny and debate.
