PM dismisses row between media and Peters as 'fuss'

Prime Minister Helen Clark said today she couldn't understand the "fuss" over Foreign Minister Winston Peters' testy exchange with media in Washington last week.

Mr Peters has been criticised by opposition politicians for the way he interrupted a press conference while US Senator John McCain was talking up the US relationship with New Zealand and supporting a free trade agreement.

Mr Peters was annoyed because journalists were asking more questions than he thought they were entitled to, and said he was "calling a halt" to the press conference even though it was in Senator McCain's office and had been arranged by his staff.

Helen Clark said today there had been a "huge misunderstanding" about the media presence.

"My understanding is that Winston Peters had arranged to talk to journalists after the meeting and there was going to be a photo taken at the beginning," she told Newstalk ZB.

"Now, what then happened was that media when they came into the room seemed to have reached an understanding with Mr McCain's staff that there would be questions," she said.

"I think Mr Peters, probably mindful of time, that you've got a short period of time with very, very busy people and you've points you want to get across, said 'okay let's stop it there and we'll go on with the meeting'.

"He always intended to talk to them later."

Helen Clark said the exchange had been "blown up out of all proportion" and the media had to be "very careful not to make themselves the centre of the story".

Given the agenda for the talks and the short time available for such meetings to take place, Mr Peters was entitled to say "time's up for now fellas, I'll talk to you later".

"I don't really see why such a fuss was made about that."

She said she did not believe the "spat" between the media and Mr Peters undermined the fact this was "an incredibly successful visit to Washington and I'm pleased with the outcome".

"For some time now there have been indications that the United States would look, like to look, far beyond the one issue (the anti-nuclear legislation) really which has divided us over the past two decades and we have been getting signals of that from various levels in the US Government.

"I think when it comes from secretary of state herself (Condoleezza Rice) publicly, that's a very good thing," Helen Clark said.

- NZPA