Foreign Affairs Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters won’t apologise for the comments he made about Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan, which have been labelled "offensive" and "racist" by people inside and outside of Parliament.
This comes as the Greens have written to the Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee about the comments.
Last Wednesday in Parliament, Peters brought up the Covid-19 inquiry. Asked by Xu-Nan if he was vaccinated, Peters said: “I noticed you came here five minutes ago. Go back to your own country - that’s where they lie like a flatfish, but they don’t lie like that here, all right?”
“This is called a democracy, unlike what you’re used to. Go back to where you’ve come from, you loudmouth, and maybe you’ll learn something about the political system of New Zealand in time before you go streaming out of here in three months’ time.”
Xu-Nan was born in China and moved to New Zealand as a child.
The fallout has seen the Chinese Embassy lodging “solemn representations” with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), and Labour ruling out having Peters as Foreign Affairs Minister if elected into government. Peters' comments have also been picked up internationally by The Straits Times, South China Morning Post and Euronews.
'I'm not apologising'
On Tuesday afternoon, Peters was asked by reporters whether he would apologise. Peters accused Xu-Nan of “jeering and shouting” during the discussion about the Covid-19 inquiry.
“I’m not apologising … I’m not apologising on behalf of all those people who are victims for the way they were treated during Covid.”
When asked if he had embarassed New Zealand with his comments, Peters walked away.
'Careless and irresponsible'
Asked about what they had written to the Speaker, Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said: “We outlined that racism is not acceptable. That the Speaker has a responsibility to uphold standards and safety across the House, and that at the very least, Mr Peters should withdraw and apologise for his comments.”
Davidson said there was a bigger conversation needed about how politicians’ rhetoric “and harmful, harmful words impact on the safety of migrant communities and communities across New Zealand."
Davidson and fellow co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick would not lead the Greens into a government arrangement with New Zealand First, she said.
When asked if he thought Peters was racist, Xu-Nan, last Thursday, said Peters’ track record explained itself.
Asked if Peters was able to be the Foreign Affairs Minister, Xu-Nan said that was up to Cabinet and the Prime Minister.
“But I think it is extraordinary that you have a Minister who is so careless and irresponsible with what he says both outside of Parliament but now in Parliament.”
Asked what his message was to Asian New Zealanders, Xu-Nan said: “It’s important for us all to remember the love and support we have for each other and the fact that we’re all grounded under te Tiriti o Waitangi. That is our founding document … In many cases you are welcomed, you are loved in this country.”
“Maybe a few people may not see it that way but we’re here to ensure that those people never see power again in the upcoming election.”
PM says people need to think carefully about their vote
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon previously called the comments unacceptable and offensive. Asked by a reporter last week whether he thought Peters’ comments were racist, he said he did.
He has since spoken to Peters but has not elaborated on the conversation. Asked by a reporter if Luxon disciplined or tried to fire Peters, whether the coalition government could potentially collapse and go into an early election, he said NZ was 90 days out from an election.
“People are going to get their choice to vote on November the seventh. They need to think very carefully about how they vote … I’ve been calling for party leaders over a number of years not to say what’s your rhetoric on all sides … And the reality is that New Zealanders get to make their choice,” Luxon said.
‘His position as Minister of Foreign Affairs if completely untenable’
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Peters’ comments were “reprehensible.”
“His position as Minister of Foreign Affairs is completely untenable,” Hipkins said on Tuesday.
“He cannot credibly represent New Zealand to the world. He should not be Minister of Foreign Affairs now. He will not be Minister of Foreign Affairs in any government that I lead.”
On Luxon's comments about being 90 days out from an election and people being able to make their own choices by voting, Hipkins said: "Christopher Luxon is the Prime Minister now, today, and he's saying right now that Winston Peters can still represent New Zealand to the world, despite ... making international headlines as Minister of Foreign Affairs for being racist. "
In response, Peters, on social media, wrote: “The only thing THICKER than Chris Hipkins ruling me out TWELVE MONTHS AFTER I RULED HIM OUT is the low IQ media who report it.”
Peters and the Chinese Embassy
Following Peters’ comments to Xu-Nan, the Chinese Embassy told RNZ it had lodged “solemn representations” with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade over “the negative China-related remarks made by a certain politician in the New Zealand Parliament”.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Minister said: “The Minister has been briefed on an MFAT official’s conversation with the Chinese Embassy this afternoon.”
“He stands by his comments over the last couple of days, which have been aimed at defending New Zealand’s democracy."
“The Minister is a long-standing custodian of the New Zealand-China relationship, having made seven official visits to China - most recently in late 2025.”
On Tuesday, Luxon said the relationship with China was in a strong place. “The Foreign Minister and Chinese ambassadors have had spats as he did when he was Foreign Minister under the Labour government as well.”
What else has happened?
At a post-Cabinet press conference Luxon apologised for his remarks at a breakfast hosted by the Rotorua Business Chamber last week.
He told the audience that some businesses had a “parent-child mentality” and how he had sat in boardrooms where conversations were about what the Government was going to do and what they thought.
“Who cares what the Government thinks or does? Our job is to be adult, adult, adult,” Luxon is reported saying, according to RNZ.
On Monday, Luxon said: “I know many small business owners are doing it tough right now. They’re working long hours. They’re managing financial pressures, looking after their staff, and doing everything they can to grow their businesses.”
“I have enormous respect and admiration for people who are out there backing themselves, taking a risk, and building a business. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy," Luxon said.
“They create jobs. They support families. They make an enormous contribution to communities right across New Zealand. So I am sorry if my comments did not properly acknowledge the challenges that many small business owners are facing, and that I got that wrong.”
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chair Paul Ingram told RNZ that he trusted that “behind that apology is some genuine reflection, and some increased understanding of the continued challenge that is small business".
Babies and classroom disruption
Over the weekend, NZ First announced former Defence Minister Ron Mark would be returning as its candidate for the Wairarapa electorate.
NZ First also announced their ‘Kiwi Kids Grant’ which is a universal, non-means tested grant of $5000 annually for the first three years and for each of the first, second and third child someone has.
The $5000 will be tax free and will be in addition to all other existing support that parents are currently eligible for. One parent has to be a NZ citizen in order to be eligible for this grant.
Meanwhile, the ACT Party launched an election policy that aimed to address classroom disruption.
ACT candidate Paul Henry said ACT would give teachers “a clear legal power to direct seriously or persistently disruptive students to leave the classroom.”
“The principle is simple: disrupt the class, leave the class. Refuse a lawful direction and the matter escalates. There will be real consequences, not woke complacency.”
What’s happening this week?
Some big bills are making their way before the House such as the RMA reform bills and the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill.
On Wednesday, Statistics NZ will release its latest labour market data for the June quarter.
The Labour Party is also set to announce a policy this week.
1 Comments
Business as usual then isn’t it. Even well before 1993 Winston Peters had perfected the art of headlines and the benefits of resultant publicity, good or bad, and he ain’t lost the knack, quite the opposite in fact. Those in the electorate established as supporters will remain just as so, some of the undecided could go either way but it is rather obvious that Winston Peters and Shane Jones intend to continue to mock and harass the Greens and TPM and given the raucous upheavals and infighting in recent times in both those parties, there are abundant targets. As Helen Clark no less, once exclaimed “diddums.” I suggest the flippancy of PM Luxon is the greater misjudgement as it is not directed at just one identity but a whole sector of NZ industry and commerce. Quite extraordinary really, smacks being dismissive, looking down on business activity beneath one’s so called prestigious past.
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