KEY POINTS:
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has backed-tracked on his willingness to criticise New Zealand's free trade agreement with China while overseas and has discussed his new position with Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Last Tuesday, Mr Peters said that if asked about it overseas he would say that New Zealand could have done a lot better.
"If I am asked I will tell the truth. I would have hoped we could have done much better."
He said he would be speaking as Foreign Minister.
His opposition sparked an outcry from those who believed it was not warranted and also from those who believed that even if it was, he should not criticise the deal while overseas.
Mr Peters is outside the Cabinet, and under the agreement his New Zealand First party has with Labour, he can disagree on issues outside his portfolio, including trade.
It has never been stated that his opposition to free trade agreements would be limited to expressing it only within NZ, but it had never been tested until last week.
Acting PM Michael Cullen said Mr Peters was entitled to express his opposition abroad. But Mr Peters' position changed on Thursday.
Helen Clark confirmed yesterday that she had spoken to Mr Peters that day after she returned from China and after Mr Peters' position had been relayed to her office.
She said yesterday: "What Winston Peters relayed to my office and later to me personally last week was that when he goes overseas, if he is asked about the FTA he will say that the negotiations have been successfully concluded and that is the responsibility of the Minister of Trade [Phil Goff]."
She acknowledged that the position might be different from the one he gave last week to reporters but said it had not been at her doing.
Asked if she would have been unhappy for him to have criticised the trade deal overseas, she said, "No, I have never said that. I have never expected Winston Peters to support the FTA with China."
A spokesman for Mr Peters said last night the minister believed a clarification had been needed because he felt the media had portrayed it as though he was going to go around the world attacking the FTA, and he was not. It was not the result of any pressure or suggestion from the Beehive.
