Peters' attacks on Asian immigration 'economic sabotage'

New Zealand First Winston Peters was close to economic sabotage with his latest attack on immigration, the Government said today.

Mr Peters told delegates at his party's convention in Auckland today that sectarian government policies would lead to a divided New Zealand society.

"The ultimate destination looks very much like the hotbeds of ethnic and religious conflict - places such as Kosovo, Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland," he said.

"We are witnessing the Balkanisation of our country."

Strife and civil war in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 killed 200,000 and forced two million to flee ethnic cleansing.

New Zealand was headed for race riots akin to those in Britain, Mr Peters told the Sunday Star-Times newspaper today.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said today she feared Mr Peters would damage New Zealand trade with huge markets in Asia, as Asian immigrants were his prime target.

New Zealand needed Asia as it was becoming increasingly isolated from the world's major trading blocs.

"We know of the huge potential of the Asian markets for us," she said.

"If we are turning our back on people and saying please, please, please admit our goods but don't come here...this is ridiculous, it's very damaging.

"China in our lifetime will easily be the world's biggest economy, and you just can't turn your back on that - trade always occurs in a context, it's not a vacuum."

Pauline Hanson, who pedalled similar politics in Australia during the 1990s, had caused trouble at education fairs, with Asians not wanting to go to Australia, Miss Clark said.

"That's the message it sends."

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said Mr Peters "certainly is bordering on economic sabotage."

"He doesn't seem to care that what he says could have that impact on the New Zealand economy," she said.

"He is prepared to do and say anything in order to attract headline news. That is what this is all about, it's about promoting Winston Peters."

New Zealand had a well-balanced, well-managed immigration programme, she said.

Race Relations Conciliator Joris de Bres said he would not be taking any formal action over the speech, which he called "the product of an over-active imagination".

"I'm puzzling to see how he sleeps at night, if the picture he paints is true," Mr de Bres said.

New Zealanders had to judge whether Mr Peters was right or not based on their own experience, he said.

"My personal experience is that New Zealand is probably as good a place to live in as it ever was."

But he warned of the economic damage to the tourism, education and export industries when Mr Peters was reported overseas.

"If we lose our reputation for hospitality we might well jeopardise our billion dollar industries in the other three areas," he said.

"I don't think we get anywhere by demonising people, and making individual examples characteristic of whole groups."

In his speech Mr Peters revisited familiar themes of crime, immigration and the Treaty of Waitangi - policies that transformed his party into the third-biggest in Parliament.

He saved his biggest shots for "grossly excessive" immigration.

"Out of control immigration is swamping our limited capacity to absorb and integrate migrants," he said.

"The Government is overseeing a wholesale replacement of New Zealand's population. For every New Zealander that leaves three immigrants, mainly from the third world, replace them."

"Huge swathes" of Auckland were migrant communities, he said.

No political party today came out in support of his view.

National Party leader Bill English said New Zealand was a tolerant nation that had benefited from careful migration.

The Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU) said it would ask both the Human Rights Commission and the Race Relations office to take action against Mr Peters.

"Our members welcome people from all countries into our union, because they know that kind of racism that Winston Peters is promoting is not only the enemy of a democratic country, but the enemy of workers," spokeswoman Darien Fenton said .

"Our union stands against any form of racism, discrimination or hate and we are not prepared to see Winston Peters inciting racism that could lead to workers fighting other workers.

"Having a sensible debate about immigration is one thing. Blaming a whole group of particular immigrants is totally unacceptable."

National MP Pansy Wong joined in the criticism of Mr Peters, saying he was sensationalising the impact new migrants had on the community.

This did not encourage rational debate about the issue.

Mr Peters' comments were unfair to immigrants who wanted to play an active role in New Zealand society, Ms Wong said.

Progressive Coalition MP Matt Robson called on all political parties to reject the "divisive and hate-filled politics" espoused by Mr Peters.

"After reading Peters' conference speech, the 3R's in relation to him make me think of racist, reactionary, ragbag politics," he said.

- NZPA