Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has defended the new test for migrants seeking New Zealand citizenship.
From late next year, citizenship applicants will be quizzed on the responsibilities and privileges of being a citizen, needing 75 percent of questions correct to pass.
Questions would cover topics like the Bill of Rights Act, certain criminal offences, voting rights, democratic principles and the structure of government.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said it would ensure people understood - and were committed to - "the values of democratic freedoms" that made New Zealand "wonderful".
But critics have questioned the point of the it.
"It's a solution without a problem," said immigration lawyer Pooja Sundar.
"Are people currently, who are New Zealand citizens, not sharing these values? Is there any data showing that knowing these things makes people a better citizen?"
She wanted to know was meant by the country's values.
Luxon told Morning Report that New Zealand was just implementing changes seen elsewhere already
"On balance, it's very similar to what Australia and UK has been doing for years," he said.
"It's probably not a bad thing to remind people that things like freedom of expression, freedom of speech and women having equal rights ... to have them positively affirmed is probably a good thing."
Luxon said he didn't think it would be harmful to skilled migrants seeking citizenship, and it was going to be self-funded.
Meanwhile, he was also standing by the robustness of the 'food for fuel' deal with Singapore.
He recently returned from the country after signing an agreement to ensure the trade of essential goods like fuel and food.
Luxon said unlike other 'best effort' trade deals, this agreement was a guarantee that export controls wouldn't be added.
He also warned that the latest unemployment figures didn't capture the full effects of the war in Iran.
It eased from a decade-high through a mix of more jobs being added and a rise in the number of people not chasing work.
Stats NZ numbers showed the unemployment rate falling to 5.3 percent in the three months ended March, from 5.4 percent in the previous quarter.
Luxon said the drop was encouraging and most economists believed the rate had peaked, but said the conflict would impact growth and inflation.
He said fast-track projects and the major events fund should help create jobs.
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