'Racist and ignorant' – Shane Jones called out by Race Relations Commissioner

New Zealand's Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon has joined the chorus of voices labelling comments by NZ First Minister Shane Jones as "racist".

He slammed Jones in a statement this afternoon and said his continued "racist and ignorant" statements against Indian communities must stop.

"As a leader in Government, his words are irresponsible and harmful to many Indian, migrant, and ethnic communities," Foon said.

"These types of comments divide us as a country and embolden those that hold racist and xenophobic views."

Food urged all politicians to "stop using minorities as their whipping post".

The Commissioner's comments come after National Leader Simon Bridges also labelled comments as racist.

Despite this, both Jones and his leader – Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters – stand by the comments.

Over the weekend, Jones told Newshub: "I think the number of students that have come from India have ruined many of those [educational] institutions."

Briefly speaking to media this morning, Peters said the comments couldn't have been racist as they "come from the Indian people themselves".

"Mr Jones was mirroring the comments that the Indian people have passed on to us – so they couldn't be racist in that context."

This is despite Ardern last night saying Jones' comments were "wrong" and "loose".

She said she spoke to Jones this morning.

"He understands my position and acknowledges, as he said publicly, that I'm right."

She said she doesn't condone racism in her Cabinet, but wouldn't call Jones' comments racist.

But Bridges disagrees – "his comments were racist".

Bridges said the dressing down from the Prime Minister was "clearly not" good enough because Jones had doubled down on his comments.

Speaking to RNZ this morning, Jones said he stood by what he said.

Bridges said that was entirely regrettable.

"I think the Prime Minister just tut-tutting and then saying, 'But look he's in another party' doesn't cut it ... He is also her minister."

The head of the Waitakere Indian Association, Sunil Kaushal, has also labelled Jones' comments racist.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has challenged the outspoken MP Shane Jones over his comments. Photo / Mark Mitchell

When pressed on Kaushal's comments this morning, Peters said: "That was one person, what about the other 200,000," he said, in reference to New Zealand's total Indian population.

Meanwhile, Ardern defended the way she had dealt with Jones over not only his recent comments, but also past ones.

"The last time minister Jones made comments, particularly about the Indian community, I made very clear my view. I do not take lightly these matters."

She said Jones does face consequences – "but here you're asking me to take an action on an area where a member of another political party stands in direct opposition to a view that I hold. This is MMP."

Ardern said different opinions among different parties would become more prominent in an election year.

"People have a decision to make at election time over who they vote for, and those different perspectives – how they are represented in Parliament."