A Government Minister has said a new Bill from her own party that would force immigrants and refugees to "respect New Zealand values" may be unnecessary.
Internal Affairs Minister and New Zealand First MP Tracey Martin said at her party's AGM in Tauranga their new Respecting New Zealand Values Bill sounds great on paper but was probably unnecessary, reports NZME.
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The Bill, which the party's delegates voted to support on Sunday, will make immigrants and refugees "accept, respect and adhere to the tolerance our society expects", said NZ First MP Clayton Mitchell.
It reportedly includes forcing respect for gender equality, religious freedom and New Zealand law.
But Ms Martin said the powers it would provide are likely covered under existing legislation.
"I think the Bill that Clayton read out might be covered in a whole lot of other places," she said.
Ms Martin also insisted that she could already take away someone's citizenship, but only under "certain circumstances [and] you cannot make them country-less or stateless".
The motion to support the Bill was apparently hotly debated, and only just passed.
One delegate said a citizenship test was needed because "they got to learn how to be disciplined in our country ways", reports NZME.
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