New Zealand Minister Erica Stanford Draws Flak for Remarks on Indian Emails
New Zealand’s Minister of Immigration, Erica Stanford, has sparked widespread controversy with remarks she made about Indians, drawing sharp criticism for likening emails received from Indian individuals to spam. Her comments, made during a parliamentary session on May 6, have been condemned as insensitive and potentially prejudiced by members of the Indian-origin community.
According to The Indian Weekender, the controversy began when Erica Stanford was addressing accusations that she had forwarded official correspondence to her personal Gmail account. In her defense, she stated, “I am bound by the Official Information Act. I ensured everything was recorded and forwarded what was necessary to my parliamentary email address.”
She then added, “Just like what happened in the case of Kelvin Davis, I too receive a large number of unsolicited emails. For example, there are emails from individuals in India seeking immigration advice. I never respond to them. I consider them almost akin to spam — there are quite a few like that.”
These remarks have triggered significant backlash, particularly from Indian-origin Member of Parliament and Labour Party representative Priyanca Radhakrishnan, who was born in Chennai. Speaking to The Indian Weekender, Priyanca Radhakrishnan strongly condemned the Minister’s statements, saying, “Such comments reinforce negative stereotypes about an entire community.” She emphasized that it is unacceptable for a government minister to single out a particular ethnic group in such a manner.
In response to the criticism, Erica Stanford issued a clarification, asserting that her comments had been misinterpreted. “I did not say that I consider them as spam,” she explained. “I only said that I consider them almost akin to spam,” she said, attempting to defend her choice of words.
Nevertheless, the controversy continues to stir debate within the Indian community in New Zealand, as the implications of her remarks are being widely discussed.