Goff joins Peters over US remarks

Phil Goff

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff closed ranks with his successor, Winston Peters, yesterday as the pair went into damage control over Mr Peters' inadvertently strong criticism of the United States.

And Prime Minister Helen Clark again backed Mr Peters' view that New Zealand's contribution to the Pacific had been overlooked, but in somewhat milder tones.

Amid the explanations, the National Party attempted to exploit the timing of the diplomatic hiccup. There are two high-ranking visits today: Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, whose help Mr Peters sought in improving relations with the United States, and General John Abizaid, head of the US Central Command in Florida.

Mr Peters, the New Zealand First leader and a minister outside the Cabinet, attracted wide coverage for comments he made on Tuesday after his first major speech as Foreign Minister, saying the US did not give New Zealand the credit or respect it deserved for the role it played in the security of the Pacific.

He agreed with a suggestion that the US and Britain needed to pull their weight more in the Pacific, and he contrasted Russia's recognition of New Zealand's contribution to security in the Pacific with the United States' lack of it. "There are aspects about New Zealand's importance in the world that the US might not fully understand and I intend to make sure that they do," he said.

Mr Goff yesterday took the sharp edges off Mr Peters' comments, saying the point Mr Peters had been making was that "whereas Europe is looking at Africa, and the US is looking at the Middle East ... it's left to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Forum to deal with the problems we have locally".

"They are quite big problems in terms of the potential for failed states and ethnic conflict and perhaps New Zealand's contribution from time to time is not seen for the extent it actually represents. But I don't think it is a big deal and I don't think Winston intended it to be a big deal in his comments either."

Mr Peters encouraged a similar answer from the Prime Minister who was answering questions about the US and New Zealand relationship.

Mr Peters: "Given how busy the United States is in the Middle East, Iraq, and other parts of the world, and given the huge, complex, and intricate arrangements that we have put together in this country over the last four or five years in respect of the Pacific, might it be that the United States is not as aware of them as it could be, and that, in terms of enhancing our relationships, its better understanding of that might just help; might that not be the case?"

Helen Clark: "For all the reasons the Minister has given, it would be entirely understandable if not a great deal of notice was taken in Washington of what happens in micro-states in the South Pacific."

* Mr Goff said he was certain General Abizaid would value New Zealand's contribution to Afghanistan.