Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk has sparked outrage after telling a migrant couple's disabled son to leave New Zealand in comments reported by the New Zealand Herald.
The incident, captured on video, shows Penk responding to a constituent family's concerns about their adult son's immigration status. The son, who has a disability, has been living in New Zealand with his migrant parents but faces uncertainty about his long-term residency.
When the family raised concerns about the pressure to leave, Penk reportedly told them their son should depart New Zealand if he cannot meet immigration requirements - comments that have drawn sharp criticism from disability advocates, opposition politicians, and migration lawyers.
Classic Kiwi compassion vs new hardline approach
Mate, this is about more than one minister putting his foot in it. It's about New Zealand's changing identity under the coalition government.
For decades, New Zealand prided itself on being a compassionate society that looked after vulnerable people - including migrants with disabilities. That wasn't just sentiment; it was policy. The country maintained pathways for families with disabled members, recognizing that immigration isn't just about economic units but about human beings.
But the coalition government of National, ACT, and New Zealand First has taken a markedly harder line on immigration. The focus has shifted to "high-value" migrants - skilled workers, investors, people who can contribute economically from day one.
Disabled people, by definition, often don't fit that narrow economic framework. They might need support services. They might not work full-time. They might cost the health system money.
