Mr Goff, who is tipped to contest the Auckland mayoralty, defended Labour's policy on foreign home ownership yesterday. But he conceded its comments about the high rates of home ownership by people with Chinese surnames could upset some voters.
"Who knows? Some people might object to it but I think most people will understand," he said.
The controversial debate would not undermine his party's long-held connection with Chinese communities in Auckland, Mr Goff said.
"Labour is the party that allowed Chinese migrants to have equal access with any other ethnicity way back in the 1980s."
Auckland councillor Cameron Brewer, who could also seek the mayoralty, said Labour's "attack on Asian Aucklanders" would hurt Mr Goff's prospects.
"Labour's desperate dog-whistle politics will cost Phil Goff hugely as he's getting around Auckland's ethnic functions, communities and their media -- greasing them up and promising them inclusion," Mr Brewer said.
Census data showed 37 per cent of Mr Goff's Mt Roskill electorate was of Asian descent -- one of the highest rates in the country.
The MP rubbished Mr Brewer's comments: "I would die in a ditch to give people of whatever ethnicity the same rights as New Zealand residents. But I have a very clear view that people from overseas should not be investing in the New Zealand market."
Te Atatu MP and Labour housing spokesman Phil Twyford, whose electorate is about 20 per cent Asian, said public feedback on Labour's policy had been mostly positive so far.
He said he understood that Chinese New Zealanders felt sensitive about the issue.
"If they have perceived this as a criticism of them, it isn't. Our only concern is about offshore Chinese speculators."
Mr Twyford reignited the foreign ownership debate at the weekend by releasing real estate data that showed people with Chinese surnames had purchased nearly 40 per cent of homes in Auckland between February and April.
New Lynn MP David Cunliffe and Kelston MP Carmel Sepuloni referred questions about the issue to leader Andrew Little.
Mr Little reiterated the need for a foreign buyers register. He said the Government's plan to collect this foreign ownership data from October 1 was inadequate because there was no guarantee the information would be available in a way that allowed public scrutiny.
