Winston Peters sets fast pace for PM Luxon ahead of Australia visit - Audrey Young

OPINION

There’s an irony in the fact that as Winston Peters, David Seymour and Christopher Luxon were striding towards the Beehive Banquet Hall to unveil the coalition agreements, Peters asked the other two to slow down.

Because ever since that day, Peters has set a blazing pace in his third stint as Foreign Minister.

He has had a string of meetings with ambassadors, foreign ministers and leaders either in person or by phone, led the Parliament in a debate on Gaza and made his first trip – to Fiji - last weekend.

It is not just experience that has given Peters the comfort and confidence to move quickly. He is surrounded by almost the same work family that was with him when he last held the post, from 2017–2020.

Jon Johansson, his former chief of staff, is back as a special adviser to Peters. Michael Appleton, most recently High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, is back as his senior Foreign Affairs adviser, and Helen Lahtinen has returned as his senior private secretary. Additionally, he has former parliamentary colleague Darroch Ball as his chief of staff and minder.

As Luxon heads to Australia today in his first overseas visit, Peters has already firmly set the scene in foreign affairs and security in ways that will undoubtedly please Canberra, and Washington as well, and raise the hackles of Beijing.

In two formal speeches, first to the US Business Summit and another to diplomats at Parliament, Peters has signalled that while he has fitted back into his job like an old glove, foreign policy is definitely under new management.

He has given notice he plans to bring a new sense of intensity and urgency to New Zealand’s diplomacy and has embraced the greater activity by the US in the region.

“There is more to do and not a moment to lose,” he said.

He has also given notice that in the interests of regional security, New Zealand will reinvigorate its relationship with the Five Eyes partners (the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK), and Japan and South Korea as other members of Nato’s Indo-Pacific 4 (IP4).

Peters signalled that New Zealand would strengthen its defence engagement and capability in the region – “we know we will need to have greater presence and we will need to bolster sovereign capabilities”.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters meeting Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Suva last weekend. Photo / MFAT

That’s on top of the residual goodwill from New Zealand having replaced its surveillance Orions with four US-made P8As.

When Peters mentioned to the US summit the importance of having a stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific, he did not mention an “inclusive” Indo-Pacific, which has been New Zealand code for acknowledging China is part of the region.

In the other speech, he downplayed New Zealand’s “independent foreign policy”.

It has been used largely by Labour governments to domestically reinforce the parting from the US formal security alliance in the 1980s over New Zealand’s anti-nuclear status.

But it has privately rankled with other countries that feel slighted by the implication they are not independent or that their alliances with the United States reduce their independence.

That sits behind Defence Minister Judith Collins accusing Labour of being traditionally anti-American.

What this all adds up to is a move by the coalition Government closer to old friends and a clearer enunciation of that by Peters.

It makes it highly likely New Zealand will embrace any option to sign up to the non-nuclear parts of Pillar 2 of Aukus, the alliance between Australia, the United States and the UK, to provide Australia with nuclear submarines.

And it also makes for a sincerely warm welcome for Luxon from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, assuming the RNZAF plane makes it across the Tasman.

Luxon this week echoed Peters’ push for greater “intensity” in New Zealand’s foreign policy pursuits and he has a head start. Luxon headed Air NZ and had an established relationship with Albanese when the Australian PM was transport minister. And along with Canada’s Justin Trudeau, the three leaders issued a joint statement on the situation in Gaza.

Luxon sought to minimise any foreign policy differences with Labour during the election campaign but Peters has already done a diplomatic shuffle towards traditional allies.

As Prime Minister, Luxon may well have his work cut out managing New Zealand’s relationship with China.

Winston Peters’ diplomatic engagements so far

Foreign Minister Winston Peters meets India High Commissioner Neeta Bhushan in the Beehive this week, while Trade Minister Todd McClay is visiting India. Photo / MFAT

• Since being sworn in, Winston Peters has had face-to-face meetings with Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano, Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general Henry Puna, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, plus a meeting with Singapore Foreign Minister Balakrishnan before he was sworn in.
• He has had phone meetings with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joy,Indian Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
• He has had face-to-face meetings with the following heads of mission to New Zealand: US ambassador Tom Udall, Australia High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu, Ukraine ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Fiji High Commissioner Ratu Inoke Kabuabola, India High Commissioner Neeta Bhushan, Mexican ambassador Perez Bravo, Indonesian ambassador Fietje Maritje Suebu and Japanese ambassador Koichi Ito.
• He has delivered formal speeches to the US Business Summit and diplomats’ reception at Parliament.